Moon Priestess
by x-Mysti-x
Summary: NeoQueen Serenity’s sudden death sends shockwaves from Earth all the way to Kinmoku. Secrets are revealed as the senshi search for answers with two thoughts in mind: what really happened and what does Seiya Kou have to do with it all? SxU, ShoujoAi
1. Prologue: Tragedy In Crystal Tokyo!

Moon Priestess

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Summary

_NeoQueen Serenity's sudden death sends shockwaves from Earth all the way to Kinmoku. Secrets are revealed as the senshi search for answers with two thoughts in mind: what really happened and what does Seiya Kou have to do with it all? SxU, ShoujoAi_

_Disclaimer: This fiction is written for the enjoyment of the author/reader, not with intention to make a profit. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko-sama - me no own, you no sue!_

_Note: This fiction features the Starlights, but __**they will not be male**__ in their civilian forms. That's right, it's another Shoujo-Ai fic :D! You have been warned! _

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Prologue: Tragedy in Crystal Tokyo! NeoQueen Serenity is dead?

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It was like any other day, except for the rain clouds.

It hardly _ever_ rained in Crystal Tokyo.

Serenity let a sigh escape her lips as she listened to the sound of gravel crunching beneath her feet. The towers of the Crystal Palace loomed high above her as she walked, and she felt as if the weight of the shadows they cast on her was resting heavily on her shoulders. Living this lie, the lie that she was happy without him.. no.. without _her_, was getting harder every day. She'd been living solely for destiny for hundreds of years now. A destiny she didn't want.

She _had_ wanted it, she thought, as she let her knees collapse under her and fell to the floor amidst the small corner of the gardens that were filled with red roses. She _had_ wanted it when she first knew about it, when she thought she loved Mamoru. When she was naive enough to believe he wanted her for more than her power. She'd gone through with it only for Chibi-Usa's sake. She loved the pink-haired little princess too much to let her disappear. Now said princess was old enough to receive her crown _and_ the title of Sailor Moon.

Her only regret was that she hadn't told anyone else she was going to do this. They wouldn't understand. She'd been planning this for a long time and now, five days before Chibi-Usa's coronation, she was going to put her plan into action. Her attempt at cheating destiny.

Her clothes and hair rustled in a non-existent breeze and she held the lotus-shaped Ginzuishou aloft, resting between both her palms as she raised it.

"_Moon Crystal Power!"_

A small smile crossed her face as the Ginzuishou lit up like the fourth of July, casting warm rays of light across the surface of the countless rose petals surrounding her. The crystal was what had provided her the loophole: _it _was not bound by destiny, only _she_ was.

Rei ran across the garden at full speed as she saw the unexpected light from the crystal suddenly cut out and heard the soft flump of a body hitting the grass, turning the last corner to see NeoQueen Serenity's spent form splayed amongst the roses, the lotus-flower Ginzuishou in her right hand turned to stone.

"_USAGI!"_

Ami, Makoto and Minako heard the scream and ran, reaching the garden ten minutes later to find a frantic Rei still trying to administer CPR while desperate tears carved their hot trails down her face. Makoto had to forcefully pry her from Serenity and pull her back before Ami could check for a pulse. They waited for the verdict with baited breath and horribly sinking hearts, Rei now sobbing into Minako's shoulder. She already knew the answer even as Ami choked it out.

"Oh god... she.. she's gone."

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On the other side of the crystal city, a nondescript blonde girl with her hair done up in odango's started up a short flight of steps into a church, pulling the heavy door shut behind her as a lotus-shaped crystal glinted where it caught the sunlight from the chain around her neck.

_The time had come._

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(A/N: So, what did you think? This fiction is only 7 chapters long (prologue, five chapters, epilogue) and I'm happy to say that's the angsty part over with. For the most part at least. Who's the mysterious church girl? And what has Usagi planned? When will Seiya find out? Hmm.. I wonder...)


	2. One: Inners Investigate

Moon Priestess

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Disclaimer: This fiction is written for the enjoyment of the author/reader, not with intention to make a profit. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko-sama - me no own, you no sue!

**AN: Thank you for reviewing so soon XD! I plan to have this little ficlet finished ASAP so I can move onto my other stories. Expect an update soon! For now, I have other stuff to do. Don't forget to leave me a review if you like the story. (Mamoru-lovers may not like this chapter much.) **

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One: Was Endymion really her one and only? Inners Investigate.

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Rei gasped as she sat up in bed, shaking, and pulled the red coverlets closer to her body. How she wished that yesterday had all been a dream. She was having nightmares about Usagi's limp body just lying there among the roses while she could do nothing to stop her death. Her hands tightened into fists around the cloth, her nails leaving crescents in her flesh as she bit back tears.

'_I should have been there... I should have stopped her!'_

Now the queen they had all sworn to protect with their lives lay dead in the Crystal Palace's chapel. Uranus, Neptune and Saturn would arrive from their patrol tomorrow, and would be told what had happened then. Pluto had already been present when NeoQueen Serenity was officially pronounced dead. The only people that didn't know where the Starlights and their princess.

Suddenly, Rei jumped out of bed. It had all become far too clear for her liking. Pulling on a plain red t-shirt and black canvas trousers, she went through her morning routine, minus breakfast with the other Inners, at what felt like a mile-a-minute. She _had_ to know!

Had she not exited her room so quickly she would have noticed the holographic message left on her bedside table, waiting to be listened to.

Running up to the top floor purposefully keeping out of the way of the other senshi, she pushed her bangs aside to clearly show the symbol of Mars that now rested on her forehead all the time as she approached a large door. The wards put in place around Serenity's now unused rooms recognised her as Mars and allowed her to pass.

Biting her lip, she pushed the large crystal door open and looked around. The expansive hall held a small kitchen and large open-plan sitting room, other doors leading to a study, walk-in wardrobe and bedroom. Serenity and Endymion had been living in different sections of the palace for months and rarely saw each other at all if they could help it, although the public knew nothing of the fact that their marriage had failed. Endymion had been busy seducing virtually every weak-minded woman in the palace behind Serenity's back since they tied the knot and he got his place as king, and when she found out she had divorced him in all but name. Rei shuddered. One night he'd been so drunk he even had a go at seducing _her_. Needless to say, he was nursing third-degree burns for a long time after, to the amusement of the palace staff that didn't like him.

Serenity's study was the one room that only she used. No maids were allowed to clean it, none of the senshi had ever been in it, though that was only because they had never asked, respecting the fact that she wanted to keep the room private.

"Usagi-chan.. forgive me.."

Hesitating, Rei pushed open the door and crossed the threshold, pausing with her eyes shut as she waited to see if some unknown power would smite her down for invading the space. When nothing happened, she breathed a sigh of relief and took a closer look around. Everywhere was spotless, aside from some faded manga and old photo-albums littering the spaces. Rei noticed that Mamoru was nowhere to be seen in any of the pictures, which in some cases meant that Usagi was alone inside a picture frame. Still, that was not what she was there for.

There was a small holograph pad on the desk, which on inspection contained what seemed to be all of Usagi's favourite moments with Seiya.

Walking over to an old CD player, she didn't heard Minako make her way into the room outside of the study as she pressed play. There was a moment of silence, and then a voice spoke.

'_Aishiteru, Odango.'_

Rei listened in shock as a song she was sure had never been on the Three Light's CD began to play.

_In the brightly shining world of white_

_With your wings spread out wide you are there_

_But those wings are so black and heavy on you_

_That you look like you're being crushed by your destiny_

_I want to help you, I want to rescue you, if I can do it_

_I would even throw away my life, all for you..._

_When you're uneasy, when it's painful, I am there with you_

_Always keep showing to me your smiling face_

As she heard the next line, Rei visibly blanched and cursed her stupidity, oblivious to Minako sticking her head through the study door at that exact moment.

"Oh _shit..."_

How could she have been so blind?!

_I, Seiya, feel it, this wondrous feeling_

_I, Fighter, feel it, different from my mission_

_This surely is unrequited love a station apart in the galaxy_

"You're joking!" Minako exclaimed. She had noticed Usagi's depression after Seiya had returned to Kinmoku, but after a few months, it had seemed to fade slightly, and then over the years Usagi slowly got back to herself again, and that was apparently the end of it since there was no word from Seiya and only Pluto had any way of getting to Kinmoku to contact them. Still, the song carried on, almost mocking them as Rei felt the tears falling again. _How_ could she not have noticed?!

_In the cool world of red_

_I am the perfect soldier, and I am there_

_But right here in front of me you appear_

_All of a sudden my heart feels it's about to burst open _

"Then again, I suppose we weren't able to guess before that she wasn't getting any replies from Mamoru-san until she told us herself." Rei said bitterly. Why couldn't Usagi just tell her? Why did she have to die? Was this destiny really so bad?

Chibi-Usa had refused to move from her mother's side since she found out. Not even Helios had been able to pull her away. The distraught pink-haired girl had been in the chapel for hours, talking, crying, venting, _anything_ to fool herself into believing that her mother could be saved, that she wasn't dead, just for a little while longer. Rei gasped as another seemingly obvious fact hit her in the face like a wet fish.

**Chibi-Usa** was the only reason Usagi had not returned Seiya's love in the first place.

_My longing is for only one person, my precious princess_

_Even destruction must occur for peace day after day..._

_I came flowing here to the solar system, and you too are a princess_

_One day I was bewitched by your smiling face_

"We have to tell the others." Minako said resignedly. Ami was sleeping right now and Makoto, from what she had heard, was venting her own frustration in her downtown training facility. They had to be told, this was serious.

_I, Seiya, feel it, this wondrous feeling_

_I, Fighter, feel it, different from my mission_

_This surely is unrequited love a station apart in the galaxy_

Rei frowned. "Haruka-san and Michiru-san are _not_ going to be happy."

_Piercing through the starry sky, cutting up the galaxy_

_The battle to decide the future_

_Now, if I can be at all_

_So that I will be somewhere within a corner of your memory_

_With my hair disheveled, I dance, dance, dance_

Minako nodded. "You know they're either going to kill _"Endymion-sama"_ for making her unhappy or pin this on Seiya because he left her." she muttered, her fingers making quotation marks as she spoke, conveying exactly what Rei felt - an acute dislike for the king.

Rei sighed. "He had no choice, remember? To be honest, I think _Seiya's_ going to kill Endymion when he finds out, never mind what Haruka and Michiru have planned."

_I want to help you, I want to rescue you, if I can do it_

_I would even throw away my life, all for you..._

_When you're uneasy, when it's painful, I am there with you_

_Always keep showing to me your smiling face_

Minako giggled. "Well I hope he does. Means we don't have to deal with the pompous ass ourselves."

_I, Seiya, feel it, this wondrous feeling_

_I, Fighter, feel it, different from my mission_

_This surely is unrequited love a station apart in the galaxy_

As the song finished the CD came to a stop again. Clearly that was the last track. Rei walked over and picked up the case, looking at the back and raising an eyebrow at what she saw.

"There's no third track listed; just Nagareboshi He and Todokanu Omoi..."

"That's weird." Minako said, suddenly grinning with hearts in her eyes. "Aww, he really loves her!"

A vein popped in Rei's temple as she dealt the senshi of Venus a blow to the back of the head with the case.

"Minako, _he wrote a song for her._ Of course he loves her you idiot. Well... She... I guess they don't have or need male forms anymore."

Minako's grin faded as she thought of the Starlights. How _was_ Seiya going to cope with this?

"Rei, we have to tell them..."

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Rei watched the sun set out of her window as she collapsed onto her bed. It had only been one day without Usagi's warm presence and already the world was utterly different. There could be no happiness for any of them without her. Her mind wandering, she rested her hand against her bedside table, steadying herself to get up again and let out a small cry of surprise as her hands met something solid, a holographic message pad. Snapping it open, her eyes widened as the head and shoulders of Neo-Queen Serenity formed out of the small light providing the holograph. Then, Usagi began to speak to her quite literally from beyond the grave.

Peering through a crack in the door, a young blonde girl dressed in white and gold priestess robes decorated with crescent moons smiled as she congratulated herself on a job well done. The message had been delivered; Serenity-sama would be pleased. Patting the crystal around her neck, the girl turned and disappeared, blending into the crowd of servants as she headed back to her home. Tomorrow the next stage would begin. For now, Mars and the others would need their rest.


	3. Two: Outer's Trials

Moon Priestess

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Disclaimer: This fiction is written for the enjoyment of the author/reader, not with intention to make a profit. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko-sama - me no own, you no sue!

**Author's Notes: I noticed there's been a little bit of confusion about the church girl (who as of yet has no name) but you'll find out about her properly in chapter 4. Also, this chapter is a bit more Mamoru-friendly, since I know I was somewhat of a basher last chapter. Till then, on with this chapter!**

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Two: Searching for forgiveness; The Outer's Trials.

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The room went silent as Rei walked into it, Minako one of the first to look up out of the three that were waiting for her. It was the Inner Senshi's common room, of a sort, joined to each of their living spaces. Being Sailor Senshi, they got a whole floor of the palace and several rooms to themselves each, all themed and expensively decorated and so on. _'There are times when you could mistake living in this palace for staying in a five star hotel.'_ Minako thought to herself, smiling slightly. In retrospect, that was a silly thought - the crystal palace felt like home far too much to just be a hotel, and they all knew it.

Ami raised an eyebrow as Rei set down a holographic message pad on the table they were sat around. The pads were of her own creation - a way to send each other messages and memos. They had also been a good way of making sure Serenity wasn't late... as much as she usually was anyway; after all, Serenity was still Usagi on the inside. She had also got together with Pluto to create a database of all the important moments of the past based on the memories all of the senshi had retained. With years of work it now stretched from the previous day all the way back to the Silver Millennium if the viewer so wished, though that particular time was sketchy for the most part as - in Pluto's own words, some things were meant to be forgotten.

By everyone but the emerald-haired Time guardian, of course. But Ami knew that what Setsuna said was true - what they _already_ knew about their past was quite enough to contend with, they didn't need every little detail or it might be too much.

"I don't know how it got there, but when I went back to my room last night it was on my bedside table. It's a message from Usagi." Rei said, hitting the "Play" button. Again, the image of Serenity formed out of the light and the pre-recorded message began to play.

"_Hm... you can never tell when these things are recording... Oh, it is! Err.. Rei, if you get this message, and everything has gone to plan, you and the other girls are probably very upset right now. I'm sorry I didn't explain, you would have stopped me. Yes, you would have."_

Rei smiled slightly. It was true, had she known what Usagi was going to do, she would have talked her out of it any way possible.

"_But there shouldn't be any need now. If everything is going the way I planned it, you will find out all the details soon. Please, don't let Haruka be too hard on herself. Tell Chibi-Usa to be happy, and that I love her. And.. when you tell.. when you tell Seiya, don't just send a message, bring the Starlights back and show them how good my life was here, so they don't feel too upset. Oh and don't forget to show them around! the church might be a good place to start. I don't really know how to say this, but you have always been one of my best friends.. and we'll always have each other, right? Even if I'm not really here, I know I'll be in your hearts. _

A quick glance around the table they were gathered at showed all four girls eyes shining with tears again.

"_Oh and one last thing - I know I haven't been very friendly with Endymion lately but don't be too harsh on him, okay? He has his reasons. Ja ne, Rei-chan.. who knows when we will meet again."_

"Who was that from?"

All four Inners recoiled in shock, turning around to see Haruka leaning casually against the door frame. Michiru stood just being her, her hand on Hotaru's shoulder. Although at first glance the three of them looked fine, a closer look revealed that Hotaru looked uneasy as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, she could tell something was wrong. Michiru was worried but trying to appear her usual cool and sophisticated self and although Haruka had her normal smirk in place she was troubled about something too.

"Ah.. when did you get back? I mean.. uh.. welcome back!" Minako blurted, laughing awkwardly but mentally slamming her head against the tabletop. Exactly how much of that message had they been around to hear? Did they know about NeoQueen Serenity's death yet? Rei tried to stop her eyes narrowing in annoyance as she shot the blonde a glare. _'Smooth, Mina, very smooth.'_

"About fifteen minutes ago, actually." Haruka replied, pulling up a chair. They could tell the sandy-haired senshi was suspicious now, her eyes narrowed as she glanced around. After squeezing Hotaru's shoulder, Michiru took a seat as well, a little way away from the others. Hotaru remained in the doorway, shooting her adoptive mother a small smile and continuing to fidget where she stood. "Is there any reason Koneko-chan couldn't come meet us today like she usually does? Did she get held up in a meeting or something?"

The Inner senshi winced collectively at the sound of Haruka's pet-name for their deceased queen. "You.. you could say that." Makoto said haltingly, not able to meet Haruka's eyes. Rei's frown increased. Why were they beating around the bush so much? She opened her mouth to speak when someone else beat her to it.

"NeoQueen Serenity.. Usagi-chan.. she left the living world two days ago, Haruka. There was no sign of a struggle, no murder weapon, I can only conclude that it was suicide." Ami said quietly. She wanted to be angry at Usagi for leaving them, she wanted to scream and curse her and vent her frustration at the sudden loss. But instead all she could do was wonder _why_ Usagi had wanted to die so badly. They were good friends, weren't they? They had _always_ been there to protect her and make her happy, hadn't they? Sure, her relationship with Endymion had been bad lately but that was surely not worth killing herself over.. was it? The message she just heard left more questions than answers for her to ponder over.

There was a sudden sob, a scuffling sound and Hotaru fled the room, her worst fears proved true in that one sentence. Far from the anger they were all worried they would see, Haruka and Michiru were floored. Tears began to run down Michiru's face as she let out a sob of her own, soon scooped up in Haruka's arms as the other tried to comfort her although she was clearly on the verge of tears herself, the unmistakable look of a guilty conscience written all over her face.

"What.. what happened?" Haruka managed to choke out, trying to focus on comforting her partner to keep her mind off her own sorrow.

Rei bit back the urge to sigh as Ami, Makoto and Minako all shot her meaningful glances. Apparently they wanted her to do the explaining, so she tried to tell them what she saw, hoping she would be able to get all the way through the explanation without crying herself. Neptune's sobs were tugging at her heart enough as it was without adding more sadness.

_Rei, her Sailor Mars fuku proudly on display as she happened to walk by the gardens, felt her heart catch in her throat as she saw a bright light by the spot she knew the roses were and heard what was unmistakably a body hitting the floor. She ran as fast as she could towards the light as it wavered and cut out, arriving in time to see the lotus-shaped Ginzuishou turn to dull, rough granite in Serenity's limp hand. The Moon Princess had always been pale, but she knew something was wrong, she was now surely too pale for life to be present. Her lips were going blue, her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. At all._

_Rei felt panic close in as her brain made sense of the terrible sight her eyes were seeing. __**Usagi wasn't breathing!**__ Rushing forwards, she fell to her knees in the roses beside the body of her queen, not caring how rose thorns were biting into her legs where she was crushing the red flowers beneath her weight as she steeled herself and began to try and give Usagi mouth-to-mouth, trying to get her best friend breathing again._

_The minutes of repeated breathing and compressing seemed to stretch into hours and eventually she heard the approaching footsteps of others, but she didn't care. The only coherent thought currently in her head was bent on making sure Usagi was alright, making sure she was alive. She felt strong arms pry her away from behind and watched as Ami checked Serenity's pulse. Fear and dread shone in the eyes of the four Inner Senshi as they waited to see what the outcome of the check was, but something inside Rei died that moment. She already knew the answer, burying her face into Minako's neck and letting sobs wrack her, body and soul, as Ami relayed that Serenity had gone to the one place to which they could not follow her._

Sounds of sniffling filled the room as Rei felt her eyes tear up again, closing them to stop the hot, salty water escaping its restraints. No more tears, Usagi wouldn't want that. She hadn't had decent sleep since the day Serenity died, none of them had, all plagued by nightmares and confused, angry, desperate what-ifs and why-couldn't-I-stop-this-happening thoughts.

"This.. this is all my fault." Haruka said brokenly. All at once Michiru pulled herself closer, shaking her head as she tried to make the tears stop. There were more important things to her than her own grief, and Haruka was one of those things.

The Inners gasped, letting out cries of "what?!" and "no way!".

"It's not.. we didn't know, Haruka. We didn't know she'd do this." Michiru said sadly, trying and failing to persuade herself more than any of the others that her words were true, that she and Haruka hadn't influenced the queen's death, however unintentionally and indirectly. "How could you have known? How could anyone.."

"What. Did. You. Do?!" Rei shouted, slamming her hands on the tabletop as she jumped to her feet, her blood boiling at the thought that Usagi's trusted friends, sworn with their lives to ensure her safety, might be the very reason for her untimely death.

Tearful silence reigned for a few seconds more, Haruka and Michiru refusing to meet Rei's gaze for the first time since they had met her. Frustrated at the sudden lack of an explanation, she paced; felt her anger growing even more until it burst out in the form of another, louder shout, heartbroken and terrible to the ears.

"_WHAT DID YOU DO, DAMNIT!"_

"A few months ago, Koneko-chan and her 'dearly' beloved had quite the fall out.. but I guess she didn't really tell you what happened." Haruka said, glad she had started because now she knew she wouldn't stop until she had got the story out. "When she followed Endymion and found him with his latest toy, she wasn't surprised, but it turned out that _who_ he was fooling around with was what broke her heart instead."

Here the Wind senshi paused for a few minutes, her hands clenching into fists as her own anger simmered beneath the surface for a while before it could be shoved back down and she could continue.

"What she didn't tell you was that she tried to run away." Haruka said finally, her gaze on the tabletop in front of her as if the clear glass surface was the most interesting thing she had ever set eyes on.

"Tried? What do you mean _'tried'_, Haruka?!" Rei pushed, not liking Haruka's hesitance.

_Uranus ran full pelt towards the travel portals, Neptune at her heels. Endymion, seemingly distraught and hurting, had just told her that Serenity was running away. Needless to say, she didn't stick around to see his smirking face as she set off after her princess. If Serenity was on the run, surely there was only one place she would go, one person she would run to._

'_I'm going to kill you, Seiya Kou!' the sandy haired senshi thought as she rounded the last corner. The last portal of the row was still powering down, and at the foot of it was a ring on a broken chain. The two Outers winced as they recognised the ring Mamoru had bought for Usagi just before he left for America, before the battle with Galaxia began, lying forgotten, no doubt wrathfully cast away as Serenity fled the Earth. The stone it bore had shattered and the metal was tarnished._

_Wordlessly, Neptune reached over and powered up the portal once more, and they both ran through it, knowing it would allow them to go wherever Serenity had landed and bring her back._

_Uranus felt her entire being fill with rage as she recognised the ruins of the Silver Millennium. They were on the Moon. There, at the foot of the very balcony ruins that the young Serenity had once jumped off to try and save Endymion from death, Sailor Star Fighter and Serenity were locked in a passionate kiss._

"_Damn it Kou.." Uranus muttered, her tone deadly. "You won't get away with it this time!" She didn't care that she had once trusted the Starlights to keep Usagi safe, she didn't care how much this would hurt. Serenity was being deceived, tricked away from the man that loved her and her rightful destiny by this.. woman far beneath her rank and far out of her depth. She'd waited what seemed like her whole life for a valid reason to do Seiya some damage for trying to lure her princess away and here it was, virtually on a silver platter._

_This thought in mind, she charged them. Bringing her Space Sword down in a blow that was meant to go straight through the offending Starlight's neck while Neptune pried Serenity from the other woman and kept them separated, holding her queen with her arms behind her back so that she couldn't move further than a futile struggle. Both Fighter and Serenity were distracted, but suddenly the Ginzuishou glowed and in response a bright white light flared around Fighter. Uranus was blown several metres backwards, leaving the Starlight unharmed but furious._

_Within seconds the two were at each other's throats, blows being struck left right and centre while Serenity desperately struggled to free herself from Neptune's grasp. Uranus was becoming more and more ticked off by the minute as Fighter was doing a very good job at evading her - the Starlight was slightly more agile than her, and she was fully using that to her advantage._

"_What the hell are you doing here, Kou?! Don't you have your own princess to protect without trying to steal ours?" Uranus shouted vehemently, jumping back to avoid another blow but not fast enough. For the second time in their history, Fighter hit her directly in her midsection, sending her flying further backwards._

"_For your information, Uranus, it was __**Usagi **__who called for __**me**__. She's sick of the destiny you're forcing on her and your king is a lying man-whore!"_

-SMACK-

"_SEIYA!"_

_Neptune gave a cry of pain as Serenity's body glowed and her skin suddenly burnt white hot. It was impossible to keep her hold on her and the sea senshi relinquished her, Serenity running to Fighter's side, roughly shoving Uranus to one side as the senshi continued to try and beat the sassafras out of the Starlight after successfully knocking her to the floor with a punch to the face._

"Star Sensitive Inferno!"

"Star Gentle Uterus!"

_Uranus and Neptune were both hit dead-on by the Healer and Maker's attacks, both somewhat scratched up. Confusion reigned as Serenity's focus went from protecting only Fighter to keeping her senshi safe too._

"_Stop it! You're hurting them!" Serenity shouted._

"_They deserve it." Healer replied simply. Seiya had already told the pair of them what Endymion had been doing and neither of them were happy. Although Healer and Maker had not wanted to get involved with Sailor Moon at all, that last battle with Galaxia had brought the four of them a lot closer and they were just as furious as Fighter when they found out that Usagi was suffering._

"_Koneko-chan.." _

_Serenity winced as Uranus called to her. The two Outers were back on their feet, the short period of talking between Serenity and Healer enough to buy them time._

"_You have to come back with us. Earth needs you. We need you. __**Endymion**__ needs you!"_

_Serenity's face, which had slowly been softening, hardened with disgust at the sound of her king's name and she pulled away._

"_Endymion can burn in hell for all I care." she spat angrily, tears beginning to fall as she walked back towards the Starlights. "And all his whores too."_

_Fighter smirked as Uranus and Neptune recoiled, shocked. Endymion had been unfaithful?! Since when? There was nothing to suggest it. _

"_She went to patch things up after an argument and found him screwing Pluto." Fighter told them angrily._

_For the second time since arriving on the Moon, Uranus saw nothing but red. How dare she insult Setsuna?! The idea was ludicrous, Setsuna would never do that to Serenity._

"_You go __too __far." Clearly Neptune shared her thoughts as the senshi in question pulled out the Deep Aqua Mirror, pointing it towards the three Starlights with anger and contempt written all over her face. Pluto had saved her life at least twice and she would not just stand there and let these outsiders besmirch her good name._

"Submarine Reflection!"

"Starlights Fusion Tempest!"

_During the mini-explosion caused by the two attacks colliding in mid air, Uranus took firm hold on one of Serenity's arms and dragged her away, the two of them managing to teleport back to Crystal Tokyo even as Serenity tried to pull herself free again and get back to Fighter, who was running towards them to stop them taking her._

_Neptune ran over to the controls on the other side of the portal room and flipped a switch, placing the Earth in temporary lock-down. No one could teleport in or out, which would be enough to keep Serenity and Fighter seperate while they sorted this mess out. Endymion swept in looking intensely pleased with himself about something, although the look was quickly changed for one of concern as he went over to Serenity where the queen had fallen sobbing to the floor._

"_Serenity.."_

_At the sound of her name, sadness turned to a fury and hatred the two Outer senshi would not have said Serenity had the capacity to feel._

"_Don't touch me. You're a liar and a cheat, Endymion. I know what you were doing with Pluto. Don't ever come near me again!"_

_Anger passed over Endymion's face before regret took its place and he turned on his heel and left. As soon as he was gone, Serenity fell back into her tears, looking up at the locked-down portal like a caged animal. "Fighter.. Seiya.. I want to see you.."_

"_Usagi.."_

_Anger flashed in the queen's eyes again as her gaze turned on the two Outer senshi responsible for bringing her back. Leaning down, she scooped up the ring she had abandoned observed it with cold eyes for a few moments before crushing what remained of it into dust, thin trickles of blood seeping down her arm where the metal had pressed sharp edges into her hand. She did not seem to care._

"_You will leave Crystal Tokyo. Go on patrol, go back to your own planets for a few months, I don't care where you go. Just leave before I do something rash. I don't trust my emotions right now." _

_Serenity spoke after a long pause, a hollow tone to her voice. Then she turned on her heel and swept out of the room, not once looking back to where Uranus and Neptune stood, shameful looks on their faces at the knowledge of just how wrong they had been. _

"We were forbidden from telling anyone about it.. and Serenity divorced herself from Endymion in every way other than officially, but that's what happened." Michiru added as Haruka finished recounting their tale.

"Pardon my intrusion.." A voice said, as deep red light began to glow and Sailor Pluto faded into view. "But NeoQueen Serenity brought this upon herself."

With an expressionless face, Pluto walked towards them. Rei growled and flashed her a glare. Usagi wouldn't react as badly as Haruka and Michiru said she had unless what she had seen was real, which meant Pluto had indeed been seeing Endymion. She looked on as Minako got to her feet as well, meeting the Time Guardian half way across the room and slapping her with enough force to snap the older senshi's head to one side, a red hand print marring her cheek.

"Big words coming from Endymion's latest plaything." the blonde hissed. All her respect for Setsuna was gone.

Setsuna flinched. "I deserve everything you're throwing at me." she said simply, glancing around at expressions that clearly showed the others were thinking things along the lines of "damn right you do" before she continued to speak. "But Serenity was not honest about her feelings for Fighter. She put them aside to go on with a destiny she didn't want, and when Endymion found out that she didn't love him, he was angry and hurt." She sighed, pulling up another chair and falling heavily on it. "He's only human for god's sake! When he found out that Serenity loved an alien senshi, a _female_ no less, he was deeply hurt. So he cheated on her in revenge, alright?"

"_Riiight."_ Makoto muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "And where do you feature?"

Pluto looked at her hands where they were folded in her lap, fidgeting slightly. "Well.. he.. I've always had feelings for him.. and at first, he was just taking advantage of them. We weren't actually doing anything past flirting." she replied. "But then the arguments got worse and he found out that Serenity had never really loved him since she met Fighter, and he came to me, heart broken. I couldn't just turn him away."

Rei gasped as she remembered what the message had said.

'_I know I haven't been very friendly with Endymion lately but don't be too harsh on him, okay? He has his reasons.'_

"She would have been happy with Fighter.. and we stopped her.." Haruka muttered, even more disgusted at her previous actions.

"We didn't know." Michiru countered, feeling just as bad. "Endymion set us up."

"Well I hope he's happy." Makoto said angrily. "If he doesn't regret his actions I'm going to _make_ him regret them!"

Pluto sighed. "He does regret. Truly. He never wanted to see her die."

Minako let out a mirthless laugh. "Neither did we."

Rei sighed. "This still leaves us with a problem. The Starlights don't know yet." she said pointedly.

"Then we'll honour her wish and bring them here to tell them." Minako replied determinedly. "In the mean time, we still need to sort out Chibi-Usa's coronation. We can tell them they're invited to that to get them to come here."

Taking a last look around the room, Rei got to her feet again. "Well come on, lets get a shift on people, we've only got three more days!" she said, clapping her hands briskly in a "chop-chop" way before exiting the room. This new information surrounding Usagi's death had given her at least some peace of mind, the work she would have to put into Chibi-Usa's coronation would stop her thinking about the rest of it.

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((A/N: 'Starlights Fusion Tempest' is a Sera-Myu move. I thought if fit the scene, so that's why I included it. Don't forget to drop me a review if you liked it!))

**Next Time,**

**Three: **_**Starlights, Stage On! Chibi-Usa steps in.**_


	4. Three: Starlights, Stage On!

Moon Priestess

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Disclaimer: This fiction is written for the enjoyment of the author/reader, not with intention to make a profit. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko-sama - me no own, you no sue!

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Unknown Reader: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you find the story interesting even though you're not keen on the pairing. To be honest, had Serenity and Endymion been happy I would have backed Haruka's reaction too, however much I like Seiya. But... they weren't. Ho hum.

**Spikesagitta: Ooh good :D All the answers will be uncovered next chapter! **

**Tankos: Broken record, much? ¬.¬**

**Icy-Windbreeze: Yeah, they're meant to be short cos it's a fairly short story. But I'm glad you like it :D!**

**Hoshi-san: Hope you like :D Thanks for the review!**

**Sailor Sayuri: Yeah.. I think I like the shoujo-ai Seiya/Usagi better than the hetero Seiya/Usagi. Anyways, here's the chapter. Hope you have fun with it :D**

**Aldoraspritelette: Female :) Hope you like the chapter!**

**Sailorangelfox: Yup, there will be a happy ending, despite Usagi being dead, I promise :D!**

Three: _Starlights, Stage On! Chibi-Usa Steps In._

"Princess Kakyuu?"

The Fireball Princess looked up as a messenger walked into the room with an envelope in his hand. Nodding to show he had her attention, she held her hand out, and was given the envelope.

The contents of the letter inside made her smile. Finally, something that might bring back a smile to her Starlight's faces! Jumping out of her throne, she left the pink and gold envelope where it was, the seal of Crystal Tokyo prominent on the back, as she ran off to find her guardians.

A short search found them sat out in the gardens still in their fuku, even though Kakyuu insisted they did not have to wear it inside the castle walls when no visitors were around. None of them looked very happy about something - Healer looked more annoyed than usual, Maker was trying to read a book but Kakyuu could tell by the way that her eyes kept stopping that she was distracted by her thoughts, and Fighter seemed torn between sadness and anger, which was never a good mix.

"Starlights.. I just received a letter, and I think you should read it." Kakyuu said, smiling slightly as she held the envelope out. Fighter glanced up, a glazed look in her eyes as she surveyed the letter in Kakyuu's outstretched hand. It was not until she recognised the writing that she realised who it was from, or rather, _where_ it was from.

"Odango!" The exclamation poured from her mouth before she could stop it, and the others laughed as she felt her face go red. But for Fighter the nickname brought back the painful memory of having her Odango ripped from her arms by Uranus and Neptune when they interfered with their meeting on the moon that day. Her surprised look changed to a slight glare at the thought as she began to read the letter.

_Fighter, Maker, Healer, and Princess Kakyuu._

_In three days Crystal Tokyo will be celebrating the coronation of Princess Serenity, Small Lady Tsukino Usagi II. She will inherit the throne of the Earth, and the position of Sailor Moon. You are cordially invited as allies of the Crystal Millennium to bear witness to this historic event._

_Hoping to hear from you,_

_Leader of the Guardian Senshi, Sailor Venus._

"Sailor.. _Venus?"_ Healer questioned, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Wouldn't formal invitations come from the royalty?"

She was denied an answer as Kakyuu cleared her throat, getting gracefully to her feet.

"I won't be able to go, as I have a diplomatic meeting with one of the nearby planets about opening a trade deal. You three will have to go without me." the fireball princess said, a tone of regret to her voice. She did want to take the trip back to Earth with them and see what it was like, but she had to sort out the matters of her own home first and foremost. "Give them my love, and stay safe."

With that, the princess turned on her heel and went back inside, leaving the three Starlights to ponder the news. They'd have to leave within the next five minutes to be in Crystal Tokyo for tomorrow morning, which would give them the three days to sort themselves out before the coronation, though happily they didn't have to travel all the way to Earth anymore - upon signing an alliance treaty with Kinmoku, the two planets had set up teleportation portals to allow easy travel between them - with strict restrictions on who used the portals, of course.

"Did you know Usagi had a daughter?" Maker asked uncertainly, both she and Healer looking at Fighter with interest. Although what had happened when Serenity tried to escape with them had angered the pair of them as well, they didn't care about Usagi as much as Fighter did, to put it bluntly, and the fact that she had a daughter, undoubtedly with Endymion, was bound to hurt.

Fighter nodded, sighing.

"Yes, I knew."

There was another moment of slightly uncomfortable silence as each Light pondered what the person who had their heart was doing. On Fighter's part, she already knew that Usagi was ruling over Crystal Tokyo, was married and had a family. Maker and Healer, however, were not so sure about Mercury and Venus, having not seen or heard from them. Did they have significant others now too? Were they happy with their life? Did they miss them?

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Mars resisted the urge to fidget where she stood by the Earth-Kinmoku portal. Michiru and Haruka, quite understandably, hadn't really wanted to cause a confrontation so they were staying out of the way as much as possible. If it weren't for what happened Rei would have thought Haruka unlikely to deliberately pass up this chance to casually spend a day winding Seiya up - the two of them never did get along well.

There were palace servants waiting to take any luggage the Starlights had brought with them, as well as the four Inners lined up in front of the portal. Rei got the feeling that Kakyuu wasn't coming, so she only had three rooms prepared instead of four. She also got the feeling that this would be another emotional day. None of them were quite sure how to tell the Starlights what they'd really come for, but they knew they would find some way of telling them.. hopefully before Endymion knew they were here and told them himself.

Speaking of Endymion, she hadn't actually seen him out of his tower of rooms since Serenity died. Her death affected him as much as it had the rest of them, which in her mind showed that Pluto had probably been right. He didn't mean for her to die, he just wanted revenge on her because he felt bad that she didn't love him.

She was distracted from her thoughts as the portal began to heat up and spew out tri-coloured light, announcing the imminent arrival of their guests. Putting on her best welcoming smile and telling herself she'd get through this somehow, she looked on with the other three senshi as Star Fighter, Star Maker and Star Healer, along with a suitcase (or three, in Healer's case) seemed to evaporate into existence amid the light.

The first thing Fighter noticed about the expansive room they arrived in was not the flurry of servants, the expensive furniture, the crystal, or even the four Inner senshi waiting for them to arrive. It all paled in comparison to the fact that _she_ hadn't come. The Inners all looked unusually pale and drawn, as though they hadn't had a decent nights sleep this week. She could understand why none of the Outers were there, or Endymion, but why hadn't Usagi come?

"Princess Kakyuu couldn't come with us, she had to see to a trade deal with a neighbouring planet, she sends her regards though."

Beside her, Fighter barely heard Maker speaking as she continued to home in on the obvious absence of NeoQueen Serenity. Was it just her or did Mars and the others look like they were hiding something?

"Is Usa.. err.. Serenity waiting for us somewhere?" she asked in a rush, not meaning to let the question burning in her thoughts actually see the light of day. But what was done was done.

Mars smiled sadly. "Yes, she's.. waiting." she said, thankful that she had managed to keep the pained look that was dying to form back. _'She's waiting in the chapel.. in a crystal coffin..'_ she thought, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her. But how on earth could she say _that_ when they'd only just got here. She forced a cheerful expression on her face. "But she's delayed, she's in a meeting right now.. so why don't we tour the city for a while?"

If the Starlights were suspicious, they didn't say anything about it. After a moment, they nodded, and followed the four Guardian Senshi out of the portal room into the main hall of the palace. It was packed with designers and servants and caterers and envoys from god only knew where, all running hither and thither with their own jobs to do, paying no further heed to the royal guardians and their guests other than a quick respectful bow when they looked their way. The impeding coronation had the entire place in an uproar. Chibi-Usa, however, could still mostly be found in the chapel with her mother.

The majority of the rest of the day was spent touring Crystal Tokyo in their civilian forms. Although people didn't stop or move out of their way and look on in awe and respect as they walked past, they got a closer look at what life was like in the bustling city that was now the capital city of the entire Earth, being the home of the royal family. A quick trip to the markets could tell you that things had not really changed as much as the giant crystal structures everywhere would have you believe - most of the traders spoke different languages or had accents if they were speaking in Japanese, obviously coming from a wide range of cultures, and were dressed in a variety of (in Seiya's eyes) strange get-ups. Had Seiya been more knowledgeable about the Earth's history, she would have noticed the medieval revival most of the population had going on as far as clothes were concerned. As it was, she was too worried about what Usagi was doing to think about anything of the sort. She'd brought the queens absence and lack of contact up a few times, all three of them had, but every time the Inners either found a way to weasel out of giving them a straight answer at the last minute or temporarily distracted them with something else.

Eventually, they came to a stop at a cathedral-like structure made entirely out of marble and crystal. As they looked up at it, Makoto let out a low whistle. Even she and Taiki had to tip their heads back a little to see the top of the towers and spires. Smiling, Rei took a step up. This was what Usagi had wanted them to do, show the Starlights how good life was in Crystal Tokyo. She didn't get why the queen had wanted to bring them here, to a church, but go figure. With a slight shrug, she took a breath before setting off properly up the large flight of crystalline steps up to the tall double doors of the church.

"I'd like to introduce you to the very first Church of Serenity." she said, allowing herself a smile as she thought about all of the times Usagi had complained that it was impossible to get down the steep stairs before the church entryway in a dress without tripping over. Without any further ado she launched into a small explanation about religion in Crystal Tokyo.

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There are three main religions in Crystal Tokyo. The official one, the "Church of Serenity" which features a hierarchy of pagan goddesses - i.e. Mars is the goddess of War, Mercury of Wisdom, Venus of Love etc with Serenity at the top of the food chain. The second is the Crystal Tokyo version of Christianity (as such a popular religion pre-Crystal Tokyo, it carried on after Crystal Tokyo was created) Neo-Catholic, Neo-Protestant (etc) churches, although these make up the minority. And then there's the Church of Nemesis, the rough equivalent of Satanism, but its followers meet in secret for fear of prosecution by the more light aligned church goers so there's no way of knowing how many of them there are. NeoQueen Serenity refused to have them hunted down like dogs and burnt at the stake for following another religion ala witch-hunts, even though they might want to overthrow her, and has refused to allow others to do so. - Story Facts

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Rei looked around annoyedly when the unmistakable sound of poorly concealed laughter was heard - a quick look told her the source was Yaten.

"Church of Serenity? Come on! You can't seriously expect us to believe _Usagi_ founded a whole religion. She's too modest."

The others sighed as the silver haired Light continued to giggle to herself.

"True. Usagi didn't start the religion of her own choice - the politics people thought it would be a good idea if we had a unifying religion." Minako said. "'Cause back when Crystal Tokyo first started out some places wanted their independence and all that claptrap. Apparently we had to make the idea of living in a utopia for a very long time more appealing to some people." The people from America had given them a lot of trouble indeed (as had a few other places) until they realised that they were no match for the power of the Ginzuishou. Heck, Rei often boasted she could have taken out the entire government of the USA with a few well placed matchsticks. Eventually, they gave up - it was either be assimilated, or be obliterated for disturbing the peace. Obviously they did not prefer to end up like the Dark Kingdom and all such enemies that the senshi had faced previously.

"Well, whatever, we should still go and have a look inside. You're not going to seem like very good visitors if you can't tell Princess Kakyuu anything about Crystal Tokyo when you get back, ne?" Makoto added, heading up the steps and following Rei, who had just entered the church ahead of them.

The church looked even more beautiful on the inside than it did on the outside. The crystal gleamed in the sun and there were several pieces of artwork and sculpture around. There was a large altar at the other end of the long, carpeted hall with nine arches behind it - one large one in the centre, with four on either side of it, splitting off into passages that you couldn't see the end of.

Nine priestesses in fairly ornate uniforms decorated with the symbols of the goddess whose shrine they looked after stood, lined up in front of the arches. They all wore their hair in the infamous odangos, although only one of them was blonde. They had ribbons in their hair too - the same colour as their uniform, except for the youngest.

She looked slightly nervous as the one standing next to her prodded her forward before walking forwards herself to talk to Rei. After a moment or two the blonde priestess walked tentatively up to Seiya.

"Ano... are you Star Fighter?"

After a moment or two of careful observation by either party as Seiya looked at the girl and she stared back, Seiya nodded. There was something familiar about her.

"That's me."

The girl smiled, rocking backwards and forwards on the balls of her feet for a moment before she wrapped a hand around the raven haired Light's wrist and began to tug her away from her companions.

"I have something to show you. Come on, come with me!"

Before she had any chance to protest, Seiya was led away through the central archway, soon losing sight of the other senshi around a corner in the tunnel the archway led to. An unearthly light was glowing at the further end, and Fighter's instincts began to scream at Seiya that whatever the glowing was, its aura was _very_ powerful and that she should get away from it. But she couldn't. Aside from the other girl, who was still latched on her wrist and not letting go any time soon, the aura was spookily familiar.

At last the pair of them stepped through another, smaller archway into a circular room. It was a lot cosier than the cavernous expanse of the church's main hall. It was filled almost wall to wall by a deep pool. Seiya's eyebrows made a break for her hairline as she realised with shock that the _water_ was the source of the aura she felt.

Letting her wrist go, the blonde priestess walked away and sat on the first few steps that weren't submerged in the water of the pool, staring at the deep blue that matched her eyes. When Seiya felt the absence of the hand on her wrist she looked over and had to fight back a gasp.

The priestess was paying no attention to her, staring into the pool while the light the water gave off rippled around her. Her white priestess robes and blonde hair fluttered in a non-existent breeze for a few moments as the light rushed past her. And for a moment, just for a second, she looked exactly like Usagi. Seiya would have said it _was_ Usagi sat there staring at the water had she not known Usagi was currently in some boring meeting or another. And to be honest, it scared her a little.

"Who.. who _are_ you?!"

At the sound of Seiya's shocked voice breaking the silence, the girl looked up, her hand travelling to the lotus-flower crystal that hung from a chain around her neck.

"Fighter.. Seiya.. I am.. I'm.." there was a pause as the girl deliberately stopped the emotional rush of words coming from her mouth. For those few seconds her face was full of relief and desperation, but as the girl's hand fell away from the crystal around her neck a calm look took its place, so calm you wouldn't have believed how clearly her face had conveyed so much emotion that her entire body had been shaking before.

"I am Tsuki Keiko, the Moon Priestess at this Church of Serenity." the girl replied simply, her voice holding very little feeling as she looked back into the pool once more. Then, she smiled. It reminded Seiya of the smile Usagi had hidden behind on the day they left for Kinmoku - sad, but happy at the same time.

"This is Serenity's Pool." the blonde continued. "Legend has it that Crystal Tokyo was created during Serenity's attempt to free the people of the Earth from the ice-age they had brought upon themselves. After the planet slept for a thousand years, she used the Ginzuishou to melt the ice and save us all."

There was a pause, and the priestess sighed. "Exhausted, dirtied from the effort it took to create the new age for Earth, and in no mood to search for a proper place, Serenity used the first pool of left over ice water that she saw to bathe in - which just so happened to be this very pool. The church was built over it, and thousands make a pilgrimage here from all over the Earth."

"Why?" Seiya asked, not entirely taken in by the story. It sounded more like a rehearsed tourist trap to her.

The priestess laughed, casting the Starlight an enigmatic side-long look that did not go unnoticed.

"Because, they say, the pool has healing powers, _and_ this is the one place on Earth that the common person is ever likely to get close to the true spirit of the Queen." Keiko said wistfully. "And, of course, the goddess." Leaning down, the blonde traced her fingers over the surface of the water, a thoughtful look on her face.

"So what about you?" Seiya asked, curious. "What do you believe?"

"Me?" Keiko raised an eyebrow as she looked back at the Light before her gaze slipped to the water again. After a moment, she got up and turned back towards the archway.

"I never met Queen Serenity, and I don't suppose I ever shall now. But I do believe this: All those who have faith in the goodness in this world will meet her someday."

Then, she walked away, a quiet smile on her face as she turned back for one last look at Seiya, who had got to her feet once more and was staring after her.

"Sayonara, Seiya Kou."

Back in the hall, things were about to get even stranger. Years after, Rei would still look back and think how easy it had been for everything to go downhill.

"Why are you wearing black?" Ami froze solid as she heard Taiki ask the question. It seemed innocent enough but she knew the way the tallest Light's mind worked. Taiki was going after her own answers, having realised she wasn't going to get any from the Inners. _'Oh crap.. don't ask that.. not here..'_

Too late.

The priestess of Mars looked around, surprised.

"Is it not the custom of the people of your planet to wear black and mourn when their Queen is dead?"

"Well, yes, it is but.. wait.. _what?!"_

Not seeming to realise that the Starlight's hadn't known, the priestess carried on.

"Tsukino Usagi, or Neo-Queen Serenity I, is dead." the girl stated simply. "It is, as such, our job to mourn until Princess Small Lady Serenity takes up her mothers crown and becomes the next avatar of the moon goddess."

Rei groaned and put her head in her hands, wishing she had duct-tape handy so she could shut her priestess up. 'Ah _shit..' _It was not until she saw, through the gaps in her fingers, Seiya emerging through the archway she'd disappeared through in time to hear what the Mars priestess had said that she knew they really had screwed up. Right then, her mind was somewhere between _'double shit'_ and _'what a way to find out'_. She really hadn't planned this out well enough.

"Seiya!" Yaten watched as the raven haired Light ran past them and out of the church, deaf to the fact that she and Taiki were shouting after her. Shooting the Inners a harsh look, she ran after her, Taiki on her heels. Why didn't they tell them instead of putting it off until Seiya found out like this?!

Back within the confines of the church walls, Rei was tempted to find the nearest candelabra and hit something with it, probably her loud-mouthed priestess. This was not going to go well, especially if Mamoru happened to cross paths with Seiya. But the king hadn't left his tower in three or four days now, so what were the chances?

What were the chances indeed...?

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Here's chapter 3. The mysterious church girl finally gets a name, but is she really who she says she is? The answers you've all been waiting for are next chapter!

(Due to a slight change of plan, ChibiUsa will turn up next chapter instead. Sorry about that v.v')

Four: Sayonara, Odango. Fighter finds out the truth!

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	5. Four: Sayonara, Odango

Moon Priestess

_Disclaimer: This fiction is written for the enjoyment of the author/reader, not with intention to make a profit. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko-sama - me no own, you no sue!_

**Ah, the explanatory chapter. :D All is revealed... and the next chapter is the last one! (Not including epilogue) Oh well...**

**Sailor Sayuri: Indeed, lots of angsty goodness :D And as for Usagi and Keiko being alike.. there are no coincidences, there is only Hitsuzen ;) Speaking of, I hear another series of xxxHolic anime has come out. Sweet XD!**

**Aldoraspritelette: So it would seem. :D**

**Unknown Reader: "Planified"... ah what a brilliant word :D! Thank you muchly for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the chapters up till now. And.. well.. here's Keiko's secret for you :D**

Four: _Sayonara, Odango; Chibi-Usa's Strength._

To say that Seiya was upset had to be the understatement of the century. She lost herself amid the crowd, fighting the burning tears back as she held onto the last shred of hope that outright denial held for her. Usagi _couldn't_ be dead, not after all she'd survived through. She was just hiding, maybe this was all an elaborate, sick joke. She hoped to whatever gods were listening that it was, because she didn't think she could handle the alternative... Usagi.. Odango.. dead. Gone forever.

She barely noticed where her feet were taking her until she came to a stop inside a room. She vaguely remembered running up a lot of stairs until she came to a doorway and hit a force field. A white door was in front of her, set in the opaque crystal wall. A red light flickered from somewhere and her eyebrows rose for the second time that day as four chibified figures appeared - figures she recognised as the four inner senshi. The small senshi gathered together in front of the door, staring the would-be intruder down. Even though it was a hologram, the four senshi still looked as determinedly protective as their real counterparts. Mars took a small step forwards, her unseeing projected eyes somewhere around Seiya's shoulders.

"These quarters are a restricted access area. State your identity." '_God, it even sounded exactly like Rei.. still, I better humour her.'_ Seiya thought to herself, as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs behind her.

"Sailor Star Fighter."

There was a slight clicking sound and eventually, the four holographic senshi parted and bowed.

"Welcome, Seiya."

Had she not been urgent to find a place to hide from the person rapidly approaching, the projected images of the Inners could quite easily have come close to freaking her out. As it was, she paid little attention to them and hurried into the room. It was a large common room of sorts, a kitchen and dining area and seperate seating area. Two archways led to two seperate staircases and a door in the middle of the room across from Seiya seemed to lead out to a balcony. The door she just came through emitted a sharp beep, indicating someone else was attempting to gain access and Seiya ran across the room, jumped over the sofa and scooted out onto the balcony, hiding but leaving the balcony door open a crack, the curtains covering it drifting in the slight breeze from the open door.

It would turn out that the crack she had left to sneak a peek through was all Seiya needed.

A furious Endymion paced across the room as soon as the door slid back to admit him, and shortly after the other person she pretty much never wanted to see again followed after him. The breeze outside suddenly turned sharp and came in gusts for a few moments as a just as agitated Haruka Tenoh turned her focus on her king.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking, Endymion?!" the wind senshi seethed as Endymion flopped onto a sofa looking distinctly annoyed. "You can't have the Starlights kicked out just like that. They are officially invited, whether you hold a grudge against them or not."

A cold, mirthless laugh was heard.

"Says the woman who was holding grudges against them long before I even knew they existed." Endymion replied. Neither he nor Seiya expected what happened next.

"Don't you dare even play that card! They're outsiders, it's my _job_ to be suspicious." Haruka growled. "If you hadn't tricked me into splitting them up, taken advantage of my suspicions, she might still be alive. She might have been _happy!"_

There was a moment of oppressive silence before Seiya heard Haruka sigh. Her head was spinning. Haruka Tenoh was sticking up for them.. for _her?!_ The world had gone mad!

"Then again, I guess you don't care. You were too busy seeing Pluto behind her back to care if she was happy, and that's only because Rei wouldn't have you."

"She gave as good as she got." Endymion gave back heatedly. "I loved her all that time and she fell in love with some gender-confused alien who abandoned her at the drop of a hat for her own princess and didn't even have the guts to tell me and end it."

"Excuse me? You broke up with her because of a nightmare. A _dream_, Endymion. Because of a dream you hurt her for months and wouldn't even tell her why! Seiya wouldn't even consider doing that!"

"For all I knew she could have died, because of me! Would you have stayed with Michiru if you were having dreams like that every night?!"

Although Seiya couldn't see Haruka's face, she could picture the evil look on her face as she replied.

"I _did _have dreams like that. I saw her die in that ocean cathedral because she got herself trapped by Eugeal trying to protect me. How do you think that felt? If I'd known she would have been happy with someone else I would have let her go, not stifle her like you did to Koneko-chan."

"So you blame me for her suicide, then."

Outside, Seiya reeled at the implication of Endymion's statement.. suicide? Her Odango committed _suicide?!_ The walls of denial she'd set up were slowly breaking down the further into this conversation she listened. But she still couldn't accept the fact that Usagi was dead, not until she saw the proof with her own eyes. If there was any chance to believe that this wasn't real, she'd take it. It was better than living with only her memories of Usagi to keep her company - as good as memories were they never could compare to the real thing.

"Do you see anyone else at fault? You're the one that cut her off from the one person she could have been happy with and made her feel like she had to die to escape."

Haruka shot back.

"Not to split hairs, but it was you and Michiru who did the cutting." Endymion replied, a hint of sadness in his voice despite the sarcasm. There was the sound of weight shifting off furniture and footsteps. "I don't care if you never forgive me as long as you live. What I did was jealous and spiteful.. and I can't even forgive myself for it."

With that, the door slid open and shut again as Endymion exited the room, leaving Haruka and her anger behind, and Seiya still in hiding. After a few moments, Haruka sighed and walked over to the balcony door, the curtain still moving in the breeze where the Starlight had left the gap.

"You can come out now, Seiya."

Realising she'd been found out, Seiya walked back inside, her hands up in a "please don't kill me" way, although the infamous cocky smirk was almost showing. Hearing someone actually tell Endymion what they thought of them had put her in a slightly better mood than before. It was a small distraction from the fact that, this small happiness aside, she was still on an emotional knife-edge at the prospect of Usagi's death. So long as denial was an option, it was all okay.

"How did you know where I was?"

Haruka smirked, glancing at the door. "Let's say the wind told me and leave it at that, shall we?" The smirk soon faded with somewhat of a remorseful look. Alarm bells began to go off in Seiya's head again. "Usagi's in the chapel." Definitely lots of alarm bells. "And.. I'm sorry."

There was a moment of surprise and a slight smile from Haruka as she nodded and walked off. Leaving her pride in the dust was not something the senshi of the sky did every day.. but even Seiya didn't deserve what she would see when she got to the chapel. It almost broke _her_ the first time.

'_Well, probably not anyway...'_ Haruka thought to herself. _'Better go find Michi, tell her what's happened.'_

* * *

It turned out that the chapel was a small, modest room of white marble. There were no tombs except one, the instantly recognisable figure it belonged to beautifully illuminated by light shining through the stained glass windows in the wall above. When Seiya reached it she could see three other people already there, a girl with thick, pink hair in odango's, someone she recognised as Sailor Saturn, and a man in white robes with a small, golden horn who she didn't recognise at all.

Hotaru looked up as she felt another person enter the room, her pained gaze falling on Seiya for a few moments before she went back to trying to comfort Chibi-Usa. Glancing from one to the other, she tugged Helios' sleeve to get his attention, casting a meaningful look back at Seiya. The two of them got up and left the chapel, leaving the apprentice senshi and the Starlight on their own.

Scared of what she would see when she got to the other end, Seiya started the short trip to the far side of the chapel where Chibi-Usa knelt by the solitary tomb. Almost cruelly, the top of the coffin they had left Serenity in was made out of crystal. They could both still see her, unmoving, eyes closed, her hands clasped across her chest as if she was asleep and either one of them could just reach out and nudge her to wake her up. Unfortunately the comforting illusion was revealed for what it was seconds later: Chibi-Usa had leant forward and rested her forehead on the crystal covering, a few stray tears leaking past her closed eyelids.

"Ne.. mama.. do you remember the time the Black Moon Clan attacked us and Mars and the others put you in crystal? They were trying to keep you safe then too.. and it was all my fault because I touched the Ginzuishou and absorbed it..." Chibi-Usa's sad voice echoed of the marble walls. "And I went back to the past, because you and papa told me so many stories of the champion of love and justice.. Sailor Moon. How she never gave up, never wished anything bad to anyone, how strong and brave she was.."

Seiya smiled sadly, reminiscing while not wanting to interrupt.

"Sailor Moon would help, I thought. And she did. _You_ did. But who can I go to for help now? Rei-chan and the others can't bring you back.. I can't bring you back on my own.. and they want me to be Queen now, to be Sailor Moon like you were. We planned this all out together, and now you won't be here to see it. Why?!"

Finally sensing another person's presence, Chibi-Usa gave a gasp of surprise and whirled around, coming face to face with an expression that made her own grieving and pain seem small and insignificant.

Seiya had fallen to her knees just behind Chibi-Usa, the truth finally and undeniably hitting home like a spear to her heart. _Usagi was dead._ She wouldn't smile at her again, couldn't tease Usagi about her buns just for the kick of hearing the angry objections, or hear that laughter that made her heart warm. The shine that she coveted so much was finally burnt out. Fresh tears were flowing down her face, and it felt like her world was in tatters. Pointless.

"Who are you?" Chibi-Usa questioned, not recognising the raven haired mourner, as this was their first meeting in person and she'd seen very few photographs of the Starlights. "I'm Kou Seiya.. or perhaps you've only heard of me as Sailor Star Fighter." Seiya replied after a pause, momentarily swallowing her misery as best she could to answer Chibi-Usa's questions and put the younger girl at ease.

Chibi-Usa smiled sadly. "Ah, so you're the mysterious Star Fighter." she commented. Seiya shot her a quizzical look. "Mysterious?" Glancing wistfully back at her mother's coffin, Chibi-Usa nodded.

"You were to me." She explained. "Mama never mentioned you when Papa was around. But lately, whenever he went away, whenever he wasn't with her, she'd always be melancholy and pining after someone. When I asked her who she missed so much, she always said 'a dear friend' or once, 'a brave warrior like us, Sailor Star Fighter'." Chibi-Usa sighed. "She wanted you to come back, sometimes, when the arguments got bad. She wanted to tell you how sorry she was. I tried asking the others, thinking if I could find out who you were for real I could track you down and make Mama smile again... but they always said it wasn't their place to talk about you if she hadn't.. and Haruka-san and Michiru-san didn't like you at all."

Seiya chuckled. "I'm not surprised. So now you've met me, what do you think?"

Chibi-Usa looked her up and down then shrugged. "You're not that special." she replied, folding her arms and sticking her nose up in the air that painfully reminded Seiya of the way her mother had said the same thing.

"Really?" She commented. "Normal girls are happy to meet someone as cool as me."

This time the pink haired girl outright scoffed as Seiya pulled dark glasses out of her pocket and struck a "cool" pose to emphasise her point.

"Well," Chibi-Usa replied, swiping the sunglasses and trying them on herself. "I'm not just a normal girl."

Seiya laughed despite of the strong sense of dejavu and the sadness it caused, taking her sunglasses back and settling them on her head. Chibi-Usa looked about to steal them again when Seiya stood up and out of her reach and then seemed shocked by something.

"What? What is it?"

"Err.. is Odango's crystal meant to do that?" the Light asked, pointing towards the stone Ginzuishou clasped between Queen Serenity's hands. Chibi-Usa shrugged.

"I've heard it shattered once when she almost died, but it's never done this before. No-one knows if it was meant to do that." she replied. "My version of the Ginzuishou has been unaffected by it, at least."

"Oh."

Chibi-Usa stood up too, giving Seiya a hug before she walked away, turning back for a moment. "Thankyou, Seiya. Now I feel I can move on and be the new Queen. And.. about the Ginzuishou. I'd like to think the shine has gone somewhere else. Perhaps Mama has been reborn and is living somewhere in peace and joy with no knowledge of this happily ever after that almost was."

In a swish of a pearly-sheen pink dress, Chibi-Usa was gone, leaving a thoughtful and slightly more peaceful Seiya behind in the chapel, settling herself on the floor beside the coffin. Although she didn't dare look _directly_ at the coffin again, and although the pain was still very real and very cutting, she did feel a small bit better. Smiling a little, she thought back through the events of the day wondering if she would have felt better if the Inner senshi had told them about Usagi the minute they arrived. Probably not. Although she was still angry with them, she knew deep down they didn't want to hurt their feelings - hers especially, and that's why they dithered when it came to revealing Usagi's death. And that church girl...

That church girl...

Seiya sat up straight as if someone had just ran an electric current through her, her eyes fixed on the stone Ginzuishou. It was all adding up now. The shine from this stone was gone, that girl, Keiko, had a stone just like the Ginzuishou on a necklace. She gave off Usagi's shine and acted almost exactly like her, if a bit more reserved and respectful. How did she not put all this together before?! Keiko must be Usagi's reborn form!

"Jeez, did you run fast enough?" Yaten complained as she walked tiredly through the chapel door, closely followed by Taiki, who was also panting slightly. "Eww... I'm all sweaty now from chasing after you." Resisting the urge to pause her excitement for a minute to tease her "sister", Seiya jumped up and walked back up the chapel towards them. "Hey, guys, I don't think Usagi's dead after all!"

Not to be put off when the other two looked at her like she'd grown a second and possibly third head, she launched straight into her theory. However, it was soon shot down.

"Seiya, for this theory of yours to work that girl you met in the church would have to be a few days old; otherwise the Queen's death and her birth don't match up. She can't be Serenity." Taiki replied, sighing before taking a closer look at her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Seiya nodded, feeling let down and foolish. What Taiki said made too much sense not to be true. Thinking that Keiko could be Serenity was a bit of a stretch, even by her sometimes outrageous standards. But it was nice to hope.

"Well.. Serenity reborn or not, I'm going back to talk to her, just for a while." she said, the ghost of her old smirk finding its way back onto her face. "See you two later!"

"Oi!" Yaten called after her indignantly as she ran back out of the chapel, before turning to Taiki who was watching their leader leave with a slight smile. "Does she _ever_ slow down?"

"I guess not." Taiki mused, shrugging and bursting out laughing at the annoyed look on Yaten's face.

* * *

"_Keiko-chan?"_

_After pausing to take a breath, the young priestess paused and ducked back further under the surface of the pool, swimming towards the bright white light at the bottom. There, shimmering in the water, was the form of Neo-Queen Serenity staring back at her, alive and well at the bottom of the pool.. in spirit, at least._

"_How goes your mission?" the Queen asked gently._

"_I met Seiya today. Rei did as you asked and brought the Starlights to see the church. And I heard that your daughter has stopped mourning now, and will take up your mantle happy in her duty in time." she replied. The queen smiled gently._

"_Good, I'm glad for that, at least. But you must hurry. The contract that I made with the Ginzuishou won't last much longer and I'll be lost from the material world soon. One more day and you and Seiya won't be able to reclaim my soul."_

_As if to illustrate her point, the Queen began to become slowly fainter until she was swishing in and out of view with the slight rippling of the water. Keiko nodded. "I won't fail, Queen Serenity."_

_The queen giggled. "Come on, I thought we were past formalities by now. Call me Usagi-chan."_

_Smiling, Keiko nodded again. She had shared a mental bond with the queen of Crystal Tokyo ever since she first touched the pool. She'd been found on the steps of the church as a baby with the necklace she still wore, and eventually the Queen revealed that it was a small part of the Ginzuishou itself at a time when she desperately needed help. She was so upset on that day, upset and angry. Some of her closest friends had hurt her and her husband wasn't treating her well either. She had enlisted Keiko, planning to entrust her soul for a short time to the priestess so that the next time the Starlights came back, she could escape the life she didn't want anymore, the life that was causing her so much heartbreak. So she committed suicide, and then Keiko took certain actions to spur the senshi on to bringing the Starlights to Earth. Once they were back on the planet, Seiya had to somehow find this church.. and then apparently she could be happy again. Keiko frowned as she felt something pulling her upwards How? How could she be happy if she didn't have a physical body anymore?_

"Hey, are you okay?"

Keiko coughed and spluttered as her head came back above the surface. After a moment of floundering and struggling against the force pulling her upwards and back onto dry land, she opened her eyes and realised that things couldn't have gone more perfectly. The person trying to "save" her was none other than _Seiya_. The one person she was now looking for.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, thank you." she replied after coughing up a bit of water. Seiya nodded, looking relieved. "I thought you were going to drown for a moment there."

Keiko shrugged. "I was only meditating." Now all she had to do was get the unsuspecting Light in the water somehow. Didn't sound too hard..

* * *

**Next chapter coming asap D This story should be complete soon. R&R!**


	6. Five: Keiko's Dilemma

Moon Priestess

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Disclaimer: This fiction is written for the enjoyment of the author/reader, not with intention to make a profit. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko-sama - me no own, you no sue!_

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Sailor Sayuri: Well... at last, here's the last chapter of Moon Priestess for you. Sorry it took so long, I've been busy re-writing Andromeda Prophecies and being annoyed by writers block x.x Hope you enjoy =D!**_

_**emi-87: Here you go =D**_

_**Unknown Reader: Yeah, I laughed too =D To be honest, I don't think Seiya would be able to admit when she was wrong either... well, except maybe to Usagi ;) After this and Andromeda Prophecies have been finished I'll be getting back to my Torchwood crossover... but after that, who knows? =D**_

_**P.S As for Planified, I guess it would be a slang term. But it still sounds cool =D Just don't use it in any english exams ;) giggle ^-^!**_

_**Henio41: Thanks, I'm glad you've enjoyed reading it! Here's that update for you =D**_

**_Anon: Hehe.. here's the last chapter for you =3 The epilogue will be next and then this story ends. Glad you liked it!_**

**_Cellyber: Aww. Hopefully this chapter is happier. I'm not much good at happy endings but I tried to give this story one. Hope you like it. =3_**

**_Rhinoa Lunar: Here's some more for you =3 Have fun reading it._**

**_Guy: Yes, I didn't like having to do that to Pluto either, but things will be looking up for her in the epilogue, I promise._**

**_DavisJes: Almost finished now =3.  
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Chapter 5 - Escaping Destiny! Keiko's Dilemma.**_

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Last Time:

"_Hey, are you okay?"_

_Keiko coughed and spluttered as her head came back above the surface. After a moment of floundering and struggling against the force pulling her upwards and back onto dry land, she opened her eyes and realised that things couldn't have gone more perfectly. The person trying to "save" her was none other than __Seiya__. The one person she was now looking for._

"_Yes, yes I'm fine, thank you." she replied after coughing up a bit of water. Seiya nodded, looking relieved. "I thought you were going to drown for a moment there."_

_Keiko shrugged. "I was only meditating." Now all she had to do was get the unsuspecting Light in the water somehow. __Didn't sound too hard..._

* * *

Keiko squeezed a few droplets of water out of her blonde hair, shivering slightly where she sat on the marble edge of Serenity's Pool. Seiya had seated herself a comfortable distance away, and seemed to be quite happy to sit and think. No doubt she had noticed the feeling of NeoQueen Serenity's presence by now.

"Seiya-sama." she said uncertain how she was going to tell the Starlight the truth about the pool she was staring at. Finding out about the Queen's death must have been hard enough.

Hearing her name, Seiya looked up and then smiled. "Just call me Seiya. I get enough of that stuff at home..." she replied, looking slightly uncomfortable. Keiko giggled.  
"But... you helped save the universe. Should I not respect you for that?"

Seiya shrugged. "It was Odango that did the real saving, not me."

"I know." Keiko replied, frowning sadly. "It was the worst battle she ever fought. I can remember it..."

"You can remember it? How?" Seiya asked, surprised. Keiko shook her head, looking troubled. "I don't know. Ever since I started the job I've been seeing and feeling the Queen's memories in my dreams. Which means I know how much you mean to her. And how much it hurt to say goodbye with a smile."

Seiya smiled sadly at the memory, then quickly put it off, changing the subject.

"So how did you end up here in the first place?"

"I was an orphan, a baby found on the steps of the church with only the clothes I was wearing and the necklace. The other priestesses saw me as a gift from the goddess and appointed me Serenity's next priestess." Keiko replied, dangling her legs in the pool as she sat on the side. "I've been able to talk with the Queen over these last few months as my psychic power has increased bit by bit, and she told me that the necklace was a small part of the Ginzuishou itself, and that I was meant to have it. At first I didn't believe her, but I've come to accept her wishes, in time."

"I don't believe that either." Seiya said simply. The implications of this could have had very bad consequences. She was speaking half to herself as she mused. "Why would Odango split her Star Seed and give a part of it to you?"

"Star Seed? What's a Star Seed?" Keiko asked, having only heard a brief few references to them in the memories she had seen. Seiya sighed. "Star Seeds contain the soul of a living being and are found inside every living thing. Human Star Seeds, when exposed to the outside world, will eventually black over and that person will become a Phage, a monster. The Star Seeds of Sailor Senshi, however, don't black over when removed from the body. The Senshi will die without her soul, but the Star Seed will shine eternally."

"So... That's it. This is part of Serenity's soul." Keiko muttered, staring down at the necklace. Suddenly, it all made sense. She was nothing more than a host body for Serenity to return to now that her beloved Seiya had returned to whisk her off to her real happily after ever. And what would become of poor little Keiko? With no body, she'd inevitably die, surely. "How could she do this to me?!" she spat, standing suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Seiya asked, wary of the sudden change.

"I won't let her do this, not any more. I won't let her take my body and leave me to die, not after everything I've done for her." Keiko shouted, stepping away from the water and glaring at it as it lapped almost reproachfully against the sides after the ripples her sudden departure had caused.

"What?!" Seiya was well and truly confused. Take her body? What did she mean? Usagi was dead!

"NeoQueen Serenity's spirit is waiting for you at the bottom of that pool, Kou Seiya." Keiko said, anger not stilled in the slightest. "I was born to be a new body for her once she died so that you could '_Carry her away after the concert'_ after all."

Seiya flinched, recognising her own previous words as they were thrown back at her. "She was going to bid the senshi and her daughter a final farewell and leave with you for your home."

"And you knew about this the whole time?" she asked. Keiko nodded.

"If it weren't for me doing certain errands, you wouldn't be here right now. You would have got the invitation tomorrow, found out shortly before the coronation ceremony, and then gone back home the day after, I imagine."

"Does anyone else know about this? I imagine the solar senshi don't, judging by their reactions." Seiya replied, thinking about what she'd seen during the interactions she'd been around for.

"Sailor Pluto knows." Keiko said, a resigned tone to her voice as she sat down again.

"Pluto?" Seiya echoed, slightly shocked. If Pluto knew that Usagi was going to die why would she not act to stop her, unless it would affect the future. Keiko chuckled. "As the soldier of time, how could she not know? Doesn't she know the future anyway?"

Seiya nodded. "So far as I can tell. I don't think anyone apart from her knows the full extent of her powers. She likes being mysterious, that Setsuna."

"I used to think all the sailor senshi were mysterious, but now I've met you, maybe they are a lot more human than we normal citizens give them credit for." Keiko commented, shrugging.

"Don't say that." Seiya said, feeling guilty almost immediately. "I left my planet to die once, because I thought it was my duty to follow my princess, although she was perfectly capable of protecting herself for the short time saving the lives of the civilians would have taken. I'm a coward.. and if I go through with this, perhaps I'll be a murderer too."

Keiko shook her head. "That wasn't being a coward, you didn't have a choice."

"Heh. Sounds like something Odango would have said." Seiya replied, shrugging.

"I'm not like her." Keiko said, her angry expression at the comparison fading into sadness. "I can't save the world."

"I guess it's my fault that you exist. My arrival on Earth must have permanently changed Usagi's future."

Keiko laughed at the statement. "How very arrogant of you. I should think I would have been born anyway at some point, if not for you then for the love of someone else. NeoQueen Serenity's relationship with her husband has been strained at best for quite a while."

There was a slight pause for a few more minutes as Seiya chuckled and returned to her silent thinking before Keiko began to get impatient. "So what do you plan to do?" she asked delicately. "NeoQueen Serenity made a contract with the Ginzuishou on the day she died. Her spirit remains on Earth for nine days, hidden from Sailor Saturn's detection - if Saturn knew it would be her duty to see her to the afterlife." she explained, brushing out the folds in her dress. "Each of the nine days, she borrows life energy from one of her Senshi to sustain her."

"And what day are we on now?"

"Day eight. Out of nine. If you want her back we have to do it now, while the contract's power is still strong. You need to make your mind up." Keiko pressed.

Seiya, on the other hand, shrunk back slightly as Keiko got closer, shaking her head at the blonde.

"Odango... Usagi means the world to me, but if you won't give up your life I won't ask you to just for me." she said simply, leaving Keiko surprised and slightly annoyed that the raven haired Light had managed to shift the situation so that the pressure was on her. Noble git.

Really, there was only one thing she could do.

"Alright, I agree." Keiko said after a pause, putting a smile on. "I don't like the idea of dying, but after all I've seen and heard of NeoQueen Serenity, I think I'd like to believe in her like you do. She wouldn't do this if it meant I had to die, surely."

Seiya nodded. "I'm glad you're willing to trust her. When we first came to this planet, she seemed too mysterious and too idealistic to trust, but eventually we realised what she was capable of." breaking off, she laughed. "I mean, after the all the fights we had to go through we were all hardened and cynical, but she managed to break through our 'rational' defences without batting an eyelid. It's kind of scary."

"Yes, I guess so. But, if we're going to go through with this, the contract needs your explicit agreement to it as well as Serenity's and mine. I need you to make the decision whether you want to do this or not." Keiko added, getting up and helping Seiya to stand up too, before taking one more look around the room.

For once, it could be said that Seiya was stymied on what to do with the situation she found herself in. On the one hand, she could possibly take a life to bring back the love of hers. On the other, she could let Usagi die once and for all and just return home; pretend none of this had happened. Not for the first time, she found she needed to ask the opinions of the two people who meant the most to her. Taiki and Yaten would know what she should do, or at least have some idea. Seiya smiled. She depended on those two a lot more than she would admit to them, for her sanity, if nothing else. Yaten would never let her hear the end of it, if she knew.

"I'm going to think about it for a while." she said finally, surfacing from her thoughts to find that Keiko was staring at her. "I'll be back here by six tonight with my answer."

Keiko shrugged. "Dinner is served at six in the palace. You don't think they will notice your unexplained absence? How about you have a light meal and meet me here at half past?" she suggested.

"How do you know that?" Seiya asked, smirking. Clearly this girl was a very efficient spy, if nothing else. She wasn't qualified to work in the palace but she'd obviously been there enough to know the daily routine.

"I told you. I had to run errands to make sure you'd get here on time." Keiko replied offhandedly. "Obviously that meant leaving messages for the senshi, among other things, which meant I had to be in the palace for certain amounts of time."

Seiya nodded, laughing. Keiko had to admit she rather liked the sound; it was strangely musical and very comforting, although she did not know why. Then the Light was on her feet, waving goodbye with that silly smirk on her face. As the door shut, Keiko shook her head, wondering what was become of the world. In the meantime, she had chores to do and her own dinner to attend to.

* * *

Yaten sighed, pulling her jacket closer to keep out the night air as she sat on the balcony of their shared room. Taiki was inside, somewhere. She'd probably gone to the library or ran off searching for Sailor Mercury by now. A small, mischievous grin crossed her face. They were probably holed up in some advanced laboratory in the bowels of the palace swapping advanced scientific jargon at a mile a minute. Yep, that sounded like Taiki's idea of an afternoon well spent. Aside from settling down with a poetry book.

Pulling her sketchbook into the light, she took another look at the small doodle she'd been drawing off the top of her head, only to discover it had formed itself into the head and shoulders of Minako Aino, red bow and all. Frowning, she set it down none to gently and stood up, beginning to pace.

It was fair enough that Minako had chased her when they were playing at being idols. Back then she still had her male disguise and Minako was a shameless fan girl anyway. But what about now? As far as she could tell, Minako wasn't into girls. Unless that had changed over the years. It didn't help that once they had a moment to themselves earlier in the day, Yaten hadn't been able to think of a single thing to say, and neither could she. After a few minutes of awkward silence they had both parted ways again, barely a word exchanged. At least she had looked alright at dinner.

Her trail of thought changed entirely when Seiya and Taiki walked in and called for her. Pulling the curtain separating the room and the balcony aside, Yaten pulled a few wayward strands of silver hair out of her eyes with a tired sigh and walked further into the room. She couldn't place it, but Seiya was troubled by something. She could tell.

"Something you want to tell us, Seiya?" she asked, not in the mood to dance around whatever the subject was until Seiya worked up the courage herself. As per the usual.

Seiya nodded slowly, unsure how she was going to word this so that she didn't sound utterly insane, or just like her grief at Usagi's death was making her see things. She swallowed and looked up, her gaze going from Yaten's bored expression to Taiki's calculating look. She could tell the latter was already thinking at full speed, trying to work something out.

"This is going to sound crazy, but you know how I had that theory about the girl from the church? I was right. Partially, at least." she said, slightly hesitant. There was only a very slim chance they wouldn't admit her to the nearest asylum for this one, she thought with a grin.

"I'm not going to say I believe you, but I would like it if you could explain some more." Taiki stated simply, sitting down on the sofa beside Seiya.

"The day she died, Usagi made a contract with her crystal. It would keep her alive for nine days, borrowing the energy of one of her senshi per day. The plan is that the girl, Keiko, gives up her body and possibly her life, and Usagi is free to live a new life of her own... with me." Seiya said thoughtfully. "The contract has to be agreed to by Usagi, Keiko and myself to work properly. The decision rests with me now, and as my team-mates you have never once let me down or lead me to bad choices. I came back to ask for your honest opinion."

There was a pause before Taiki spoke. "This situation seems logically impossible, but considering the unknown power of Usagi's Ginzuishou, and everything we've seen during our lives, somehow I can believe you are not just going mad with grief."

"Don't tell anyone about this, though, unless Usagi gives you permission to later." Seiya put in. "I don't think the other girls would like the idea."

"At worst they would think you've finally jumped off the deep end." Yaten scoffed, walking over to the kitchenette and pouring herself a much needed coffee. "But speaking like that, I think you've already made your decision, Seiya."

Seiya chuckled. "You're sounding a bit too worldly-wise, Shrimp." she teased, her chuckle turning into an outright laugh when Yaten choked on her coffee mid-drink in indignation at the nickname. Much to the silver haired Light's chagrin, Taiki laughed too.

"Heh. Seiya, I'll level with you for a moment. You're a cocky jerk. And nobody likes a cocky jerk." Yaten fired back. After a moment, her annoyed face softened. "But after everything we've been through together, I think at least one of us deserves happiness. But... if this 'Keiko' girl dies, how will _you_ feel?"

Seiya shook her head, recoiling from the idea as she ran her hands through her hair looking stressed. "Like a murderer."

"And do you think that Usagi would let you become a murderer of innocent people? Even to save her?" Yaten pointed out. "She's the one who stopped you killing that Phage the first time we met her. She gave up her Star Seed to Lead Crow when her school and all the innocent students in it were threatened. If that's not enough proof, I don't know what is."

"Taiki, you're the brains of this outfit." Seiya said tiredly. "What do you think I should do?"

Taiki grinned. "I'm glad one of you finally acknowledged that. And for the record, I think you should try this out. Like you say, better to do it than to regret missing the chance."

* * *

"Look, I'm sorry but the church closes in ten minutes." the priestess of Uranus reminded Seiya curtly as she tried to get in to see Keiko. Running a hand boredly through one of her sandy blonde odango's, she tried to shut the door again. "There wouldn't be any point in letting you in now, Keiko has chores to do, like the rest of us."

Seiya grinned. "You know, you're just like Sailor Uranus. Do all you priestesses have damn near the same personalities as the person you represent?" she quipped. "I'd appreciate it if you'd let me in, I really don't want to have to pull rank."

The other girl looked blankly back at her, and then snorted. "Pull rank? How do you expect to do that? The only authority we answer to are the Sailor Senshi themselves, and I don't think you'll get any of those from the palace with the coronation happening tomorrow. They're probably knee-deep in planning."

"I am a Sailor Senshi - Sailor Star Fighter, actually. I visited here earlier on, although you probably don't remember, being '_busy'_ and all." Seiya gave back coolly. Ha, let her challenge that one!

The priestess glared at her for a minute before she turned away from the door and shouted back into the church behind her. "Michi! Come here for a second!"

There was a ruffling noise and then another girl, wavy teal hair also in odango's, as seemed to be the style, appeared beside Uranus' priestess, wrapping an arm loosely around her face as she peered over the other girl's shoulder at Seiya.

"She says she's a Sailor Senshi and she's here to see Keiko. But aren't we meant to be closing? We still have to sort everything out for tomorrow." the sandy blonde commented, glancing at Seiya suspiciously for a moment.

"I'm sure we can allow an outsider in for half an hour while we're getting ready, 'Ruka." she replied gently.

Seiya's amusement was catching up on her again as the two priestesses led her back through the church to Keiko. "So... Just out of curiosity, are your names actually Haruka and Michiru or did that come with the job?" she asked.

"No, they are our proper names." the priestess of Neptune said calmly as she indicated the correct archway and passage. "It was a lucky coincidence on the part of whoever had the final say in naming us, I guess. Only for us though, the others have different names to their represented."

"Well, I should probably go and see Keiko now and have that chat. It was nice meeting you."

With that, Seiya quickly left the two priestesses behind and came back to the room that contained Serenity's Pool, finding Keiko leaning on the wall by the archway waiting for her.

"You ready?" she asked simply, already seeming to know what her final answer was. Seiya nodded and Keiko stretched out her hand. Taking firm hold of it, Seiya felt herself led over to the surface of the water and down the steps into it. As soon as she touched the rippling water she could feel Usagi's aura, tinged with a small bit of somebody else's, who must have been the Senshi she was borrowing energy from this particular day. She couldn't pick out who it was though, as that aura was small and insignificant compared to the all-encompassing love broadcasted in Usagi's influence. And for the first time since she left Earth all those years ago, Seiya felt like she was home.

As it hit the water, the Ginzuishou shard on Keiko's necklace began to pulse with light in the same rhythm as the ripples going through the pool, and the surrounding glow allowed them to breath under the surface. Now it made sense that Keiko meditated under the water - her necklace kept her alive _and_ provided an active link to the Queen.

"Serenity-sama... Err.. I mean, Usagi-sama, I bought you Sailor Star Fighter." Keiko called out, her voice slightly distorted because of the water. "The terms of your contract can now be fulfilled."

A bright light shone from the bottom of the pool and the unmistakeable figure of NeoQueen Serenity glided up to meet them. She shimmered in the light dancing across the water, translucent, the ripples making her jitter like an interrupted image that flashed in and out of view every so often. She went to embrace the pair of them but then drew back with the ghosts of tears in her eyes when she realised that she couldn't physically touch her lover or her beloved priestess because she still had no body. Then, she started to giggle as Seiya and Keiko looked at her quizzically. "Usagi-sama...?"

"I can't cry underwater, I'm underwater!" she replied joyfully. "It's wonderful to see you both, even if I am on increasingly borrowed time."

"Odango... what exactly has gone on here? Why did you do this?" Seiya asked gently. She still couldn't believe Usagi had killed herself over their earlier separation. Her Odango was stronger than that.

"There are two reasons I had to do this, Seiya." Usagi replied. "For a few months before I committed suicide I've been visited by the guardian of the Galaxy Cauldron in my dreams. She told me my ultimate destiny was to become Sailor Cosmos."

Seiya gasped. She'd heard the stories about Sailor Cosmos. She would be the strongest Sailor Soldier to ever fight for the force of good - the light that conquered the evil of Chaos when all else failed in the eternal struggle between the light and the darkness. When she could be found, that was. There were Starlights from Kinmoku and other senshi from other planets that had only one mission - to find her. But somehow now she was aware of it the notion that Usagi would become Sailor Cosmos seemed like something she should have guessed all along.

Usagi was smiling, apparently knowing that she'd be thinking along these lines. "Obviously, if I am NeoQueen Serenity, the Queen of Crystal Tokyo and an immortal, I cannot take up the mission and title of Sailor Cosmos, as it would mean I'd have to leave Crystal Tokyo regularly and for long periods of time to free planets across the galaxy from Chaos. So I had to die, otherwise my duty as part of the royal family would never end."

"So.. you didn't really kill yourself over me?" Seiya asked hesitantly, unsure whether to be glad Usagi had an ulterior motive or feel bad because she had misread Usagi's intentions, maybe the blonde didn't want her back at all.

"It was the reason that I knew the girls would readily believe, considering my marriage. But aside from that, yes, our forced separation was the second reason behind my suicide. It was becoming unbearable without you." Usagi replied, looking at her longingly. Soon, she'd be able to touch her again. Soon. "I made the contract in the understanding that if you did not reach me in time, Chibi-Moon would become Sailor Cosmos in my place."

"Am I going to die?" Keiko asked quietly, her fear masked behind her considerable bravery. Usagi shook her head. "I could not be a murderer. You know that I was responsible for your birth, yes?"

Keiko nodded warily.

"You are, essentially, a carbon copy of myself. You act differently because you were raised differently, but in the end you are still me. And I am NeoQueen Serenity. The future needs NeoQueen Serenity as well as Sailor Cosmos." Usagi replied, smiling gently.

Apparently, Keiko did not understand what she meant, but Seiya did, and relief flooded her heart. She put a hand on Keiko's shoulder and the blonde turned to look at her. "What she means is, when the contract is dealt with you will become NeoQueen Serenity in her place, while you give her a new body." she clarified, pretty sure in her guess. "It's a fair trade."

Keiko began to cry when Usagi nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "You'd do all that... just for me?" she stuttered, not able to believe it.

"Think of all the things this selfless act will do for not only myself and Seiya, but for the universe once Sailor Cosmos becomes necessary." Usagi replied, her pearly dress swirling in the water. "Because of your action now, countless lives could be spared in the future. That makes you just as much of a champion of Love and Justice as any Sailor Senshi, Keiko-chan."

Keiko giggled. "I guess you will have to start calling me Usagi too, Usagi-sama."

Usagi laughed. "In due time, yes, I guess I will. Tsukino Usagi 2.0, now with added dignity and queenly charm!" she joked.

"Its a big job, but I think you're up to it, _'Usagi 2.0'_." Seiya teased, smirking.

"You won't remember much of this life, only bits and pieces." Usagi warned. "Once the change happens you will have all my memories back."

"Will I still recognise you?" Keiko asked worriedly. "It would be awful not to, after everything you've done for me."

"Yes, I should think so." Usagi replied, before holding her crystal up. "Ginzuishou, with our consent, let the terms of our contract be fulfilled." she said calmly. "I, NeoQueen Serenity, head of the House of Selene, agree to all terms and consequences of this contract."

The Ginzuishou lit up, light swirling around them more fiercely than before.

"And me." Keiko added in. "You have my full consent."

The part of the Ginzuishou attached to the chain around Keiko's neck began to glow too.

"And mine." Seiya said, a tone of finality to her voice.

Almost as soon as Seiya had finished speaking, the glow grew until it was almost blinding. A white loop of light originating from the Ginzuishou passed through Keiko's body, and the translucent view of her soul joined that of NeoQueen Serenity's in the water. The essentially empty body began to sink, and as the light pushed Usagi's spirit into it, it bobbed back up again into the protective sphere of light that allowed them to breathe underwater. The necklace made a sudden cracking sound as Usagi gasped, breathing again, and split into sections, forming Usagi's lotus-flower Sailor Crystal. Now the Ginzuishou had been split into three - Serenity's, Usagi's, and Chibi-Usa's. Curiously the split seemed to make the glow stronger, as though the holy stone had multiplied instead of fracturing into three parts of a whole.

Then, Keiko's spirit drifted upwards towards the surface, away from them, although before she disappeared completely she had time to say one last heartfelt thank you and bid them both goodbye. The protective light allowing them to breathe began to evaporate as she left the two of them behind, and Seiya wasted no time in pulling Usagi back towards the surface with her when the blonde was still too weak, too un-used to being alive and having a physical presence again, to swim herself.

Together they went back up the steps and surfaced out of the soon to be unattended pool, finding two lavender towels waiting for them by the entrance archway. Usagi grinned, knowing by the fact that the towels were purple that they must have come from the priestess of Saturn's room. So at least one of the other priestesses had picked up on what had just happened. Or maybe Hikari, Saturn's priestess, had known all along what had been going on and simply not told the others.

"Are you alright?" Seiya's concerned tone brought her back out of her thoughts, and rather than answering her question she simply leant over and gave her a quick kiss before squeezing her hand and standing up, legs slightly wobbly at first but now fine.

"Yes, I'm alright. Let's head back to the palace. By the time we get there, there should be quite the party going on without us."

Seiya nodded and the two of them walked back down the passage to the main hall of the church, waving goodbye to any of the other priestesses they happened to see. On the front steps the priestess of Mars was stood with a sweeping brush, clearing away the dust in preparation for the many visitors the church was likely to receive tomorrow. It reminded Usagi of how Rei used to sweep the shrine courtyard sometimes during their discussions. Awash with nostalgia for a few moments, Usagi stopped – she had to give some reason for Keiko's absence from the church from now on, otherwise they might worry about her, just like Rei had worried over her death just over a week ago.

"I'm leaving on missionary duty to Kinmoku with the Sailor Starlights." She said as the red-dressed priestess looked questioningly up at her. "So you'll have to find someone else to take my position, I don't think I'll be back for a few years."

Almost at once, the priestess dropped the brush and pulled her into a fierce hug, saying they were all going to miss her as Hikari poked her head out of the double doors, smiling and waving as the girl (who looked like Keiko but who she could tell was not) and Sailor Star Fighter walked down the steps and disappeared.

"Something seems different about her tonight." The priestess of Mars commented offhandedly.

"I'm sure you're just imagining things." Hikari replied, still smiling as she picked the brush up and shooed the other girl inside, content to finish the sweeping alone in the moonlight.

**

* * *

That's all for this chapter, folks. The epilogue will be arriving shortly x3 I'm glad you enjoyed the story! Andromeda Prophecies is now back up and running, with two sequels (maybe) in the pipeline. What I want to know is does anyone want a sequel to Moon Priestess? Review and tell me what you think.**


	7. Epilogue: All's Well That Ends Well

Moon Priestess

_**

* * *

Epilogue: New Life! Chibi-Usa's Coronation.**_

* * *

Hikari pushed her dark hair back out of her eyes as she walked into the conference room at the back of the church, a simple affair with a long wooden table and surrounding chairs, each of which (apart from hers and Keiko's) was currently occupied with a priestess in deep discussion.

Staring at the other unoccupied chair at the head of the table as she sat down, Hikari smiled, not at all surprised by the topic being discussed - which just happened to be the surprise resurrection of NeoQueen Serenity.

The NeoChristian Churches which had once persecuted her as the Antichrist now held her to be the Messiah of her people. The streets were full of celebrating citizens world over. Not that they wouldn't have been here in Crystal Tokyo anyway - the coronation of Small Lady Serenity was due to occur today also.

Reminding the others that they were going to have to cover for Keiko as well as do their own duties, she left the room, picking up the lavender towels that were folded neatly by the archway of the room containing Serenity's Pool. They were still slightly damp. Grouping them between her arms, she glanced at the water. It no longer rippled of its own volition anymore, as it had been doing these last nine days. The room felt completely empty of any kind of presence except for the faint murmur of the Queen's influence that had always been there, for those who could feel it. If she had been there at all, NeoQueen Serenity's spirit had now vacated the place, for good or for ill. Closing her eyes in prayer, she wished the (to her) unknown yet somehow familiar girl who now inhabited Keiko's body good luck.

* * *

Inside the confines of the Crystal Palace, right down in the basement of the central spike of crystal that made up the building, Sailor Mercury sat at the controls of the computer's memory bank. The very device that she had effectively made her life's work.

Now, there was one particularly golden memory that she had almost at once added in with the rest, to be preserved in all its digital glory till perhaps long after she herself died. Perhaps her children would use it. Children...

She guessed it was only natural she wanted a child, no, not a child, someone to mentor and teach. After all there was no point attaining information if she couldn't share it all with more eager, learning minds - especially since she herself was no longer involved in the education system further than governing it officially. Smiling slightly, she leaned over the console and pressed "Play."

_Ami, dressed in a light blue blouse topped with a darker blue sweater-vest and black trousers, listened contently to her black mary-janes clicking across the floor. Slipping through the chapel door, she looked at the tomb, at NeoQueen Serenity's... no, Usagi's beautiful but dead form encased in its crystal grave._

_At last, she was ready to put aside her demons and accept her best friends death._

_However, as she neared the grave, it seemed fate had decided not to let her come to terms with the death of the Queen. The crystal casing began to glow, and a half scared, half disbelieving scream escaped her as NeoQueen Serenity's eyes fluttered then snapped open. Her mouth opened, chest expanded and retracted as she took a breath of the precious little air inside the coffin. Stale air, at that. Then her hands moved slowly and stiffly and pushed against the lid._

_Serenity was trying to get out of her coffin. All Ami's science and logic failed her at that moment. Serenity... Usagi, Usagi had come back from death. She was alive and banging against the heavy lid, suffocating in the now surely almost non-existent air inside her container. If Ami didn't act soon, she'd die again._

_This thought stirred her into action, with a cry telling her to hold on that she could probably barely hear under all that crystal, Ami ran forwards and tried to pry the lid off. It wouldn't work. Frustrated, she whipped out her transformation wand and within seconds Sailor Mercury was aiming a "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" at the lid to try and blast it off, working at the seam between the bottom and the lid and slowly prying it up. She could keep it going up but couldn't tip it off balance, and she was running out of energy. Serenity was gasping in the clean air. If the lid fell back on she wouldn't survive._

_At that rather desperate moment, Pluto appeared in a flash of red light and gave the balancing lid a hard shove, knocking it from the top and freeing NeoQueen Serenity at last._

_Just in time for Endymion to run into the chapel, closely followed by his daughter and the other senshi. The sight that greeted them was waxing biblical, not to mention poetic. NeoQueen Serenity, lit through the crystal walls by the rising sun behind her, was smiling as she held out her arms to them. Her dress rustled in the shocked silence. Tears were shining in Mercury's eyes as she stood slightly to one side, and Pluto was smiling in that mysterious way of hers that let them know something major was going down on their timeline, and it was good._

_There was a clatter as the Space Sword fell from Uranus' hands, the owner herself dropping to one knee before Serenity, bowing low. Seconds later Neptune joined her. Joyful tears were sweeping down both their faces as Serenity laid a hand on either of their shoulders and they both knew whatever she had held against them since the day she sent them away, real or imagined, (most likely the latter) was forgiven and forgotten._

_Sailor Saturn inclined her head to the Queen as she looked over her. The golden haired ruler swept Pluto into a hug when the older senshi greeted her, commenting that she never doubted her Queen for a minute, to the mystification of the others._

_Another shocked gasp sounded as the Queen went straight over to Endymion next, pulling him into a hug. "Endymion. I'm sorry for what I did, that I drove you to cheating through my selfishness over Fighter. But I feel new, I love you." she said. "Perhaps properly for the first time since we regained our past lives. I love you!" Without further comment, the pair kissed, looking every bit the picturesque loving couple they were meant to be to start with._

"_Looks like you're out of luck, Setsuna-mama." Saturn commented dryly as she eyed the kissing couple. Pluto shook her head. "It was a fling, and we both know that." she replied, eyes shining with sadness even when she was so happy. "I have my duties and let's be honest, I was a rebound. Nothing more, nothing less." Nodding, Hotaru patted her on the back. Yet, as she touched her, she could feel a spark of something. Like the birth of a star. Pluto looked down at her, still smiling. "Something wrong, Hotaru-chan?"_

_Hotaru shook her head, putting it off as imagination. "No."_

_As their conversation ended, Venus nudged closer. "Pluto... It will take me and maybe the others a while to get our respect for you back. But I'm still glad to call you a friend." she admitted._

"_That doesn't really matter." Pluto replied. "We're virtually immortal, and have all the time in the world to befriend each other again. I can wait."_

_Meanwhile, Serenity was busy hugging the others. When she got to Mars, the brunette senshi punched her in the arm, making her complain (in true Usagi fashion) about her meanness, before pulling her into a rib crushing hug, sobbing._

_Just then Yaten and Taiki walked in, stating that they hadn't seen Seiya since she left after dinner to visit the church again alone, and they were worried she had done something stupid. They agreed to go and look for her (although, as ever, Uranus seemed to dislike this idea) when the door opened once again, revealing Seiya and a familiar figure dressed in silver priestess robes patterned with golden crescent moons._

* * *

Ami sighed and leant back from the console. She'd been pondering what to do about one person in particular since she arrived. A short while before Crystal Tokyo she had found out she wasn't exactly straight when she and Makoto had both got drunk that one time. It had ended slightly badly at the time but the ensuing relationship was something she would never regret.

What was holding her back was exactly what stopped her voicing her feelings last time - the distance, and their seperate duties. Sure, there were the portals, travel between their worlds wasn't as much of an issue.. but still. Could she? Should she? She knew what the others would say. Go for it, don't stop to think. Unfortunately she liked thinking things through before she did them. To Ami, there was no such thing as "over-thinking things".

Another sigh laced with finality hit the air as she leant forwards once more, flicking the switch, and decided that once she had watched the rest of the recording, she was heading straight upstairs to sort this mess of an internal thought pattern out once and for all. She needed closure before Taiki left again.

_

* * *

Rei, her intuitive power greatly increased through training and extra help from Michiru, picked up on the obvious discrepancy that was created by the new figures arriving in the room. It was as though Serenity was looking at a mirror wearing different clothes. They were virtually identical twins. Mars narrowed her eyes. Identical twins with identical auras - which was impossible, unless they weren't twins but the same person. Something fishy was going on here._

"_Usagi?"_

_It didn't help when both figures replied at the same time with the same words of "Yes?". Further confusion was caused when Seiya seemed not to know there was anything wrong either. Surely someone that in tune with Usagi's "shine" would pick up on a fake?_

"_Which one of you is the real Usagi?" Mars asked, looking between them suspiciously. Was this miraculous resurrection fake? If it was, why would Usagi return here first before she ran off to Kinmoku after faking her death and risk getting caught, as she must have known would happen?_

_NeoQueen Serenity shot her double an anxious look, who merely smiled back and shrugged her shoulders before speaking again, alone, this time._

"_We both are, in a sense." she said, holding up her necklace. The others gasped as they recognized the recently created third Ginzuishou, dangling off its gold chain. "I am the Usagi of the 20th Century, and that is Serenity, the Princess of the Silver Millennium and now NeoQueen Serenity."_

"_So.. you split into two?" Mercury questioned, effectively both clarifying and dumbing down the theory for the rest of them who were slightly off kilter with trying to grasp what was going on. Usagi nodded._

"_We split, I'm not a host body anymore." her look sobered slightly as her eyes fell on Endymion. "Mamoru, however, chose to join with Endymion instead of splitting, and has been virtually lost." she paused and shrugged. "Not that there was much of a difference between them in the first place." _

"_So.. you always intended to split?" Venus asked, pondering over it all with her usual active curiosity. Again, Usagi nodded._

"_Serenity, as much as I get on with her, is not me. Although I suppose I would have joined with her had I not met Seiya. She gave me something to stay seperate for." Seiya squeezed her hand as she recounted exactly what had happened. As she came to a stop, Pluto nodded and glanced over at the others._

"_I knew she was going to do this for a few months before it happened. I have a hunch Yaten and Taiki found out last night after dinner." she commented, smiling as the two Starlights nodded, slightly weirded out at her knowledge of this, although not exactly surprised. "She had a higher purpose than Seiya, however."_

_Her smile growing slightly, Usagi launched into another description - this time how she had died with a view to becoming Sailor Cosmos. "I have to leave soon, and I'm afraid no-one can come with me. I have to make this trip alone." the smile faded entirely as the sentence left her lips. Seiya frowned. She knew Usagi hated being alone, but apparently she couldn't go with her. Not yet. It was just one of those things. "But when I get back, I'll be staying on Earth with you all until the long era of peace ahead of us now ends and Chaos pieces herself back together to wage war on us once again."_

"_It won't be the same without you, you know." Jupiter commented sadly. The others nodded._

_Usagi laughed, pulling her into a hug. "Silly Mako-chan. I am here - Serenity is here, and Serenity is me." almost as soon as it had come the laughter was replaced by a teary look. "And.. can you all forgive me for doing this? My initial death grieved you all so badly. I understand if you just want me to go and not come back..."_

"_Usagi." Mars said bluntly. "Shut up. You're coming to the coronation and then you can stay as long as you want."_

_NeoQueen Serenity burst out laughing along with the others as Usagi began to cry and the two best friends hugged like nothing had ever happened. _

"_Yes, Usagi. You will stay here as a guest of honour as long and as often as you want, in return for what you've done for me, even if I didn't know it at the time." Serenity said happily, leading the rest of them away. "Now, let's go sort out your rooms."_

_Uranus sighed and shook her head, looking over at Pluto. "And you know the crazy thing? All this is just another day in the life of a Sailor Senshi."_

_Pluto laughed. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."_

"_Come on you two, move along." Neptune said, chuckling as she shooed the pair of them out of the chapel after the others and shut the door after herself as she left._

**

* * *

The End.**

**Well, there you go folks. That's the end of Moon Priestess. If you like the idea, I might write a sequel. I certainly have the ideas for it already. I hope this ties up all the loose ends satisfactorily. Ish =3**

**Till next time,**

**~Dreamweaver-chan.**


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